Darkest Days
by Clouded-Days
Summary: AU. Bakura is the vampire in the family, Ryou a human. When Bakura is hunting for a victim one night, Ryou gets caught up in an attack. Things slowly begin to change & it gets hard for Ryou to continue with his life how he currently has before... COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Hi hi hi! Look! A new fic! Well, first, I want to say something. 'Mystery In Memory' and 'Awaken Me From This Nightmare' have been deleted from this site. Mainly, because I haven't updated since May. I kept saying I would work on them but I just _couldn't. _I couldn't get ideas and when I was rereading it, the plots sounded too similar to others... And I've grown attatched to writng in 3rd person, so when I try to write in 1st it just doesn't sound right... Look, I know some of you guys are mad at me right now for that, but hopefully this fic might be a new start or something...

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Ryou clutched his textbook to his chest as he continued down the sidewalk, his hair being disturbed by the light breeze, sending a rainbow of leaves scuttling past his feet. He soon approached his destination, but stopped in the driveway of his home, staring at the two-story, gray building, the teenager taking note of how the curtains were pulled on every visible window. He silently crept up to the front porch and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his blue school uniform before rummaging through the breast pocket on his crisp, white shirt, pulling out a small key. He fitted it into the lock and opened the door before yanking the key out, and entered the living room. It was pitch black, and Ryou could see the sunlight straining to squeeze through the black curtains. The teenager dropped his full school bag and his other textbook on the floor before pulling off his uniform jacket, laying it gently on the arm of the sofa that was propped up against a free wall. 

"Bakura?" Ryou called, not getting a response. He sighed aloud as he crossed the room towards the pearl white staircase. _He must still be asleep… _Ryou thought to himself as he quietly climbed up the staircase, shoes making a low sound on the hard wood. He paused momentarily outside of the black door, and took the silver handle in his hands, and opened it, sneaking into the room silently.

Bakura's ears twitched beneath his mess of snow-white hair, long, thin fingers clutching his pillow in his sleep. A sheet and a blanket were pulled over his thin, muscular body, stopping abruptly at his lower back. His eyes flashed open, revealing crimson orbs, as the floor creaked where Ryou's foot landed. Ryou held his breath, and went stock still, as Bakura slowly shifted his position.

The man groaned loudly in the darkness, arching his back and gave a stretch, and didn't stop until a few small cracks came from his spine, the man still lying upon his side upon the soft mattress. His fingers went slack on the pillow and his eyes remained completely open, and didn't speak for a long time. "…Ryou." He said, voice firm.

The teenager let out a long sigh and slumped his shoulders. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up…" Ryou stammered, rubbing at his arm nervously. "A-Are you mad?"

"…No." Bakura said simply, sitting upright, dressed in a black top and pajama bottoms that almost brushed the floor. Ryou was luckily able to see a little from the sunlight that squeezed between the curtains, Bakura's face a ghostly white, almost as pale as the mess of white hair he had. Ryou was still as Bakura clambered out of bed, and stood, brushing past Ryou and into the hallway. "…What time is it?"

"Five o' clock."

Bakura grunted as he entered the bathroom, Ryou lingering in the doorway, blushing slightly at Bakura tugged off his shirt, revealing a muscular chest and stomach, rounded shoulders, the strands of hair hiding his ears from view dangling down, touching his shoulders a little bit. "Eh. Well…I went to bed at six o' clock this morning…so I think I've gotten enough sleep…"

Ryou silently left as Bakura's hands went to the hem of his pants, the teenager walking down the hallway, blushing. Back in the bathroom, Bakura tugged off his pants, putting his clothes on the counter beside the bathtub. Now only wearing his boxers Bakura started the water for a shower, his crimson eyes focused, his expression blank. Pulling off the remainder of his clothes the man stepped into the shower before pulling the curtain shut, and was still as he let the water cascade onto his hair and down his body.

Ryou walked down the stairs before sitting down on the couch, turning on the lamp that sat on the side table beside the sofa. Unlike Bakura, the sixteen-year-old couldn't see that well in total darkness. Ryou opened his book and started scratching down the work. He soon heard Bakura coming down the stairs. Ryou sighed; he still had three other assignments to do, and still had to finish this math work…

Bakura paused at the bottom of the stairs, fully clothed now. Ryou glanced up at him, Bakura fitted into a black, short-sleeved shirt with a charcoal leather trench coat, and jeans, the usual assortment of chains hanging about his throat. The man placed a hand over his eyes, which were narrowed now. "Ryou, turn off that light! It's too bright…" He hissed, not budging from his spot.

Ryou sighed deeply and reluctantly obeyed, but didn't turn the light off completely, but simply dimmed it down to a very low glow. Bakura finally came down from his spot, "That's better." He said simply before he crashed down on the couch beside Ryou, the teenager glancing up from his work. Bakura let out a long moan suddenly. "I'm so _hungry_." He muttered, sinking down into the couch, pouting, and as if on cue, his stomach growled.

"Then eat something." Ryou said, rolling his eyes.

"I can't. I ran out of blood bottles yesterday…" Bakura stated with a larger pout. "And I can't go out right now. It's still light outside…"

Ryou chewed on his bottom lip before peering out of the window. Sure enough, it was still light outside, although it was cloudy out. Ryou sighed, discarding his textbook onto the couch, "Come on."

* * *

Bakura was perched on the fence, sneakers balanced, his hands placed on the free space between his feet on the wood. He threw a glance to Ryou, who was on the ground on the other side. They _always _had to jump the fence. "Up you go." Bakura said simply, reaching out with a skinny arm, still perfectly balanced. Ryou grabbed his wrist, Bakura easily tugging him up onto the top of the fence, the older man not even tilting or seeming to have any difficulty to keep his place, arm muscles tensing at the weight. 

Ryou glanced at his look-alike, the full moon sending moonlight pouring over them. Bakura's face was ghostly white, his hair white as well, but a different shade, but it looked just as pale in the moonlight. Bakura tilted his head slightly to one side, blinking at him. "What is it?" He asked, revealing white fangs that glistened in the moonlight, his crimson eyes looking bright.

Ryou shook his head. "Nothing. Really." He said. Bakura's pointed ears twitched between his mess of hair, and his head turned. Ryou watched as he spread a blacks-sleeved arm, followed by the small bat that landed upon his forearm, seeming to stare at Ryou with beady red eyes.

Bakura glanced at Ryou. "We're all clear." He stated before sending the bat off again, Bakura taking a flying leap from the top of the fence, landing silently upon the ground. Ryou jumped down as well, but didn't go nearly as far, and ran to catch up with Bakura. The vampire pressed his back up against the brick wall before peering out ahead, and seeing no one, smirked. "Well, well. Seems we're free to roam tonight." He stated before casually coming out of hiding, hands tucked in his pockets. Ryou followed, but the human kept close to him, unable to see as well in the darkness, and not being near as powerful or athletic as Bakura was.

Bakura stopped as he reached the edge of his destination, Ryou following suit. Bakura glanced about with his eyes and approached the park bench as sat down casually, draping his arms across the top ridge of the bench. Ryou hesitantly sat down next to him, and asked quietly, "Is there anyone specific you're looking for?"

"Nope. Just be quiet and wait…" Bakura stated, staring out into the darkness. Soon enough, Ryou heard running steps as a figure came into view. Bakura stood up at the sound, his powerful hearing picking up the sound before Ryou did. A smirk coated his lips, glistening fangs curving from them. _Perfect._

Ryou was hidden in the shadows as he watched Bakura grab the human in a vice-like hold, Bakura's eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned in, capturing the person's throat between his lips as his fangs injected into the soft skin. Bakura's eyes drifted shut as he drank the blood, welcoming the taste and scent. Ryou was silent, watching with wide eyes. Bakura pulled away slowly and opened his eyes, releasing his hold. He pressed a clawed hand against their forehead, and soon the person crumpled to the ground as Bakura erased the memory. He approached Ryou, blood staining his shirt collar and lips, and sat down next to him, grinning.

Neither of them noticed the set of eyes watching them.

"I should be good until tomorrow. We'll have to go out in the morning before it gets too bright for more blood bottles…" Bakura stated, leaning back against the park bench, crossing his legs, right over left. A smile appeared on Bakura's lips as the bat from earlier returned, going back to its spot on Bakura's forearm. Ryou shifted uneasily as Bakura ran his fingers over its body, like petting a cat. It wasn't long before it flew away again. Bakura shrugged. "They like it sometimes. Anyway, we should head back. You still have stuff to do." Bakura stated before getting to his feet and started off, Ryou trying to keep up with him, not liking the seperation in the near total darkness.

"Bakura! Hey, wait!" Ryou's eyes widened in shock as he felt a hand clamp over his mouth, and he froze, feeling his heart beginning to pick up speed. Ryou let out a muffled scream, kicking and struggling to get free. Tears were in his eyes as a cold, low voice whispered into his ear: "'Haven't seen people like you in a long time…"

Bakura stopped at the noise he heard, and frowned, his brow furrowing. Ryou was gone.

_Leave me alone! Let me go, let me go! Bakura! _Ryou mentally screamed, his cries muffled by the hand covering his mouth, struggling madly. _Bakura, help me!_

"People like you don't show up that often…perhaps I should relive my memories…" The voice prodded, Ryou whimpering as long fingernails pricked his skin.

Bakura felt something swell up in his chest as he heard a scream, recognizing it instantly. _Ryou! _Bakura thought before taking off in a sprint from where he came. His ears twitched as he heard running footsteps and a gentle sound, and soon, but not soon enough, came to where Ryou was.

The teenager had been released, but was curled up on the ground, crying weakly, his right hand clamped over his throat. Bakura crouched down beside him on his knees, gently forcing Ryou's hand away, his eyes widening at the two puncture marks upon his throat. Bite marks. _Oh no._

Bakura helped Ryou sit up, but frowned as he realized the slightly shorter boy was unconscious. Bakura sighed as he scooped up Ryou in his arms, Ryou almost completely limp, Bakura marveling at how _pale _Ryou looked. The vampire took off in a run, hefting Ryou in his arms as he approached the fence, and easily jumped onto it like a cat, and dropped down onto the other side, walking the rest of the way before he reached the two-story house in which they lived, looking almost like those haunted houses out of the movies in the darkness.

Bakura unlocked the door and stepped inside, placing Ryou down on the couch. Bakura left the room but returned minutes later with a pile of blankets and two pillows and a bandage. He draped two of the four total blankets over Ryou and forced a pillow under his head before gently bandaging the mark. Although he had just gotten fully awake, and wouldn't become tired until a long period of time from now, but despite it, Bakura laid down upon the floor, pulling the blankets over himself and rested his head upon the pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

_If…it was another vampire…then Ryou has more than a fifty-fifty chance of staying a human. Purebred vampires are rare nowadays, so it's probably no big deal. Well, maybe we would have more of them if those stupid _slayers _didn't go out and slaughter most of them…_

_But…who was it exactly? _Bakura glanced at the teenager. _If the memory was erased, then there's nothing I can do to figure out who did it…_

Ryou whimpered softly as he rolled over, visibly stiffening.

_He's not going to school tomorrow… I need to test this…_

* * *

Chapter 1: End. 

A/N: So, what do you guys think? Most of you know the drill by now: reviews equals fast update! -hint hint- And if you have any questions about this chapter feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them when Chapter 2 is posted!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. Dang, I seriously didn't think six people would review chapter one alone...I seriously think that's the most I've gotten on just one chapter! -gets big sparkle in eyes-

Anyways, sorry about the late updates on my other fics... School, writer's block, etc., but I'm trying to get them updated as quickly as I can! Thanks for your pateince!

* * *

Ryou's eyes flashed open. He sat there a minute or so, coming to a slow realization he was on the living room couch, and sat bolt upright, seeing Bakura sitting beside him, red eyes focused intently upon him. 

"What is it?" Bakura asked when Ryou continued to stare at him with a blank look on his face.

"…Why am I…on the couch? What happened last night?" Ryou asked, running a hand through his hair in utter confusion.

Bakura bit his bottom lip, almost drawing blood because of his sharp canines. "Last night…you remember how you came with me to look for a victim?" Ryou nodded slowly. "…You were attacked by a vampire on the way back home, Ryou."

The teenager blinked. He didn't remember that… His hand went to his throat and felt the bandage that was there, coming to a sick realization that Bakura wasn't lying to him.

Bakura yawned, revealing pure white fangs before he lay down again. It was getting close to morning now… "You're not leaving this house. I have to test to make sure you're still human, so just stay here and do something until lunchtime, okay? I have to get some sleep, so wake me up at noon…"

Ryou blinked as Bakura instantly fell asleep, chest rising and falling as he breathed deeply. Ryou hesitantly stood up and stepped over Bakura's body, crossing the room and went into the bathroom. He froze as he looked in the mirror, his face looking paler than ever, his hair messy and tangled. He looked down at his hands, seeing that they were trembling. Needing something to calm himself down, Ryou tugged off his now wrinkled clothes while starting the water for a hot shower.

Bakura's eyes drifted open as he heard the water running in the next room. The man groaned loudly, burying his head deep into the pillow. He couldn't block out the noise, however, due to his hearing being so strong. He was relieved when the noise stopped and shut his eyes again, only to hear something else. He heard a small thud and then a noise that sounded like someone choking. Bakura quickly got up and bolted towards the bathroom but froze as he came into the doorway.

Ryou was on his knees, trembling, a wave of dizziness and nausea hitting him full force. He whimpered loudly before coughing, feeling his uneasiness growing.

Bakura stepped into the bathroom and sat down beside Ryou, who looked at him with clouded eyes, face paled to a deathly white. Bakura felt pity form inside of him as Ryou began emptying his stomach. Bakura hesitantly placed a clawed hand on Ryou's shoulder, the teenager shaking violently as he continued throwing up. Bakura sighed and removed his hand, but stayed put, tears pulsing in the corners of Ryou's eyes. Slowly, Ryou lifted his head, trembling, and looked at Bakura.

Ryou squeaked weakly as Bakura put him gently onto his back before carrying him into the living room, putting him down upon the couch again. Ryou snuggled deep under the blankets, feeling horrible. Bakura left the room for a minute or so, returning soon. Ryou noticed that the curtain was open, seeing that it was still dark outside. Bakura stuck the thermometer into Ryou's mouth, followed by the cloth that was placed on his forehead. Ryou shuddered at the coldness and sat still, although he was trembling, his palms clammy. He weakly grasped the fabric of the couch, Bakura removing the thermometer at the little beep, staring at the red numbers. "Well, you won't be going to school anyway. You have a fever…"

Ryou inwardly groaned, resting his head upon the fluffy pillow. "B-But-"

"No, Ryou. You're staying home, whether you like it or not." Bakura said simply, crossing his arms, eyes slightly narrowed.

"B-But Bakura-" Ryou protested weakly, his eyes widening in alarm as Bakura's face suddenly became only about an inch from his own, Bakura's voice dropped down to a dangerous, low whisper. "I said _no, _Ryou."

The teenager fell silent. It was rare Bakura lowered his voice like that, and Ryou knew it wouldn't be good if he started to argue. Ryou lowered his gaze, and swallowed, Bakura pulling away, and muttered, "Sorry."

"I-It's okay." Ryou whispered, sniffling.

Bakura was silent as Ryou slowly drifted off to sleep. The man stood up and crossed the room with his hands tucked in his pockets to collect his needed supplies.

* * *

Bakura's eyes narrowed as the needle pierced his flesh. Ryou's eyes were wide as Bakura pulled the handle, drawing out his blood. Ryou's mouth fell open as Bakura hovered over a glass with the needle, emptying his blood into the glass. He tossed the needle onto the coffee table before forcing the cup into Ryou's hands. Ryou paled further. "…Y…You're expecting me to _drink _this?" 

"Yep." Bakura said simply. "Besides, you thought the soup I made you tasted nasty, so…drink it." Bakura said, watching silently as Ryou reluctantly obeyed his orders and downed it quickly, not wanting to taste it. He did anyway, and froze.

Bakura lashed out, catching the glass as it fell from Ryou's fingers. Bakura glanced up, seeing tears threatening to slip down Ryou's cheeks. "Ryou?" He asked, frowning as Ryou burst into tears, burying his head in his hands. "Ryou, hey. Answer me." Bakura said, sitting down on the couch beside Ryou, pressing a slim, pale hand on the teenager's shoulder. Ryou pulled away, sobbing.

Bakura's frown deepened. He brushed Ryou's bangs away that covered his ears, Ryou straining to get away from the touch, Bakura's eyes widening at Ryou's slowly changing ears, tips pointing slowly. "Ryou…"

"W-Why?" Ryou choked out, looking at Bakura with hurt chocolate colored orbs, Bakura's sympathy for the teenager growing when he noticed Ryou's slowly lengthening canines. "Why?! I-I…I don't…" Ryou clutched the couch fabric so tight the veins on his wrists showed. "…I don't want to be a vampire…" Ryou finally said, tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Ryou, it's not that bad…" Bakura murmured, trying to calm the boy down.

"Y-Yes it is." Ryou argued, lowering his head. "H-How am I going to go to school? How am I going to be able to change my life like this, Bakura? I can't, I can't, I _can't."_

"Ryou. You won't be alone, you know. I can help you… We can work something out… Did you know vampires are almost immortal? Now…as long as you get enough blood…me and you can live as long as we want…"

"I-I don't want to!" Ryou screamed. "I want to be a human, Bakura! I want to be normal! I don't want to a freak like this!" He yelled.

Bakura lowered his gaze, hurt slightly. "…Y…You think vampires are freaks?" He asked, his voice so low it sounded more like the wind blowing.

Ryou swallowed, realizing what he had just done. "N-No, B-Bakura, t-that's not… Y-You're not a-"

"It sounds like you think I'm one." Bakura fought back, teeth gritted tightly together. He was clutching the fabric of his jeans so tight his claws were poking through.

"B-Bakura, I…I didn't mean it l-like that." Ryou said, trying desperately to get Bakura to understand.

"Then why did you say you didn't want to be a freak?! You make it sound like all of us vampires are just some creatures that feed on people! We're people too, you know, even though we're just different than you regular, stupid humans!" Bakura shouted, eyes flashing with sheer rage. Ryou pressed his back into the couch and gulped, feeling the tension growing, Bakura's uncontrollable rage growing by the second. "We're superior. Our hearing and vision is at least five times as great as a human's. Although it is uncommon to see us around people… We have to hide our faces from society, due to humans killing our kind. That's why the population for purebred vampires is so low. Being able to control bats, having extended speed… The elite even have their own special powers… Our bodies just mostly rely on blood, and if we _have_ to, we caneat human food. We're just like you humans except a better version. The only reason your kind tries to kill us over is because you're afraid of us." Bakura hissed, eyes narrowed to mere slits.

Ryou whimpered as Bakura lashed out with a pale, clawed hand and seized his chin. Ryou couldn't look him in the eye, choosing instead to stare at the couch. "Ryou." Bakura said, grip tightening, but Ryou didn't look at him. "_Ryou!" _Bakura screamed, eyes flashing as his nails pricked the skin. Ryou finally looked up at him, and took a trembling breath. Bakura blinked down at him, and finally said, "It's not that bad. Don't talk about something in a bad way that you know nothing about."

Ryou looked down again as Bakura released him and stomped off, storming into the kitchen. Bakura rummaged through the fridge, long, thin fingers grasping the wine bottle that sat in the very back. He pulled it out, shutting the fridge with his knee, and pulled out a glass from the cupboard, filling it up to the brim before downing it. His nose wrinkled at the taste and his head turned as he heard Ryou's footsteps, seeing the teenager standing in the doorway, staring timidly at the floor. "What do you want?" Bakura asked, eyes narrowing.

"…I…I wanted to say I'm sorry." Ryou said slowly, rubbing at his arm.

Bakura didn't say anything at first. "…It…it's okay, I guess… You…aren't used to it, and after being a human for so long…" Bakura shook his head. "It'll take time to get used it, but I'll help."

"…T-Thanks."

"Humph. Whatever." Bakura grumbled before looking away.

"B-Bakura?" Ryou blurted out suddenly, Bakura glancing at him. "…D…Do you think my eyes will change like yours did?"

Bakura blinked at him, remembering how his eyes had changed from a darker shade of brown than Ryou's to crimson when he had awoke as a vampire. But that was so _many_ years ago…

"…Probably not." Bakura said, turning away. "You're eyes would look weird any other color." He muttered, putting the wine bottle back into the fridge.

Ryou didn't answer him.

"Anyway, it's morning." Bakura said, taking notice of the sunlight coming out from under the curtains. "I'm going to bed. You're not allowed to leave this house for any reason. If I find out that you snuck out you'll regret it, Ryou. Your body isn't that stable right now." Bakura said before walking out into the living room, taking the steps two at a time.

Ryou remained downstairs, laying down on the couch, a wave of exhaustion crashing over him. He yawned and almost instantly fell asleep as his head hit the pillow.

Bakura was perched at the top of the stairs, watching in silence as Ryou drifted off into a deep sleep. The vampire turned on his heel before walking into his darkened bedroom. The grandfather clock in the hallway struck seven in the morning, Bakura removing the assortment of chains that dangled about his neck, and set them down on the dresser, the items making a small jangle at the movement. The man removed his leather trench coat, laying it down on the back of the chair that sat close to his bed gently.

A smirk coated Bakura's lips, fangs curving from them as he gave a small stretch before he took a huge jump off the ground and onto his dresser, avoiding the chains and assortment of items that sat there. His grin widened as he looked about his enormous room, every night trying to strengthen his body, trying harder to beat his record.

He first took a flying leap off the dresser, his smirk widening when he surpassed the distance of his bed, more than a foot further than last night. He clambered back onto his dresser again after that, and took a deep breath. He took a jump from the dresser, going so far that he grasped the chandelier that hung down from his ceiling, his arm muscles visibly tensing. Swinging his legs slightly he jumped from his place and landed on top of the tall corner piece of his bed that was at the foot of it. He let out a deep sigh as he began pulling off his clothes. Tugging off his shirt and jeans he began pulling on the pair of black, silk pajamas, the shirt sleeveless and the pants almost dragging against the floor. Bakura discarded his clothes on top of the black canopy that hung about his bed before swinging down from his place and flopped down on his bed. He hadn't bothered to turn on the lights, so the room was already dark.

Bakura pulled the covers over himself, but stared out into the darkness. His crimson colored eyes slowly drifted shut, only to flash back open as he heard his door creak slightly as weight settled upon it, the man hearing timid footsteps. Bakura was silent, waiting for a response, but he never got one. "What is it, Ryou?" He finally asked, closing his eyes. He was so tired…

"…I…I-I'm scared." Ryou finally said, sounding like his younger self again, his voice trembling.

Bakura sighed as he sat up, placing his feet against the hardwood floor, crossing the room to where Ryou was waiting. "Go change first." Bakura said quietly, and Ryou quickly scampered off, and returned half a minute later. Bakura blinked at the teenager, who was wearing an oversized white shirt that almost reached his knees and a pair of blue pajama bottoms. His hair hugged the sides of his face, messed up slightly, eyes wide and innocent. It made him look so young… Bakura sighed as he grasped the albino's arm and pulled him along, coming to a stop beside the sofa bed. Bakura pulled it out with amazing speed, setting it up for the teenager. "There." He said before shuffling back across the room tiredly, running a hand through his wild hair before collapsing onto his bed.

Ryou laid down, pulling the sheets over his skinny body and tiredly closed his eyes. "Thanks, Bakura…"

Bakura slowly let his eyes drift shut. "Humph, don't thank me. 'Night, Ryou."

A small smile coated Ryou's lips as he slowly drifted off to sleep, Bakura the same, the older man's deep breathing emitting through the room, Ryou quietly sleeping through his dreams.

* * *

Chapter 2: End. 

A/N: Well, you guys know how it works... Questions can be asked, and I'll answer them the best I can guys. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Yay! I updated. :D I really like how this fic is going so far, and there's a lot of people who seem to be enjoying it as well, so I thank those of you reading, and extra thanks to the reviewers! -passes out cookies-

* * *

Bakura awoke slowly, suppressing a massive yawn, strands of hair falling into his eyes. He sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair, the blankets slipping down to his waist from the movement. His ears twitched, hearing _something_ through the walls. The thief stood up, noticing how Ryou was gone from his massive bedroom. Bakura walked into the corridor, and paused outside of the upstairs bathroom door, knocking upon it with his knuckles. "Ryou? Are you in here?"

"…Y-Y-Yeah." Ryou said through the door, trembling.

Bakura opened the door slowly, seeing Ryou on his knees, the teenager only able to glance at him before vomiting further into the toilet, shaking madly, his hair tied back to stay out of his face.

"Hey…" Bakura said before sitting down on the white tiled floor beside Ryou, gently touching Ryou's shoulder. "You'll be fine, trust me. It's only temporary… Your body still has to get used to just needing blood for food and all of that other stuff…"

Ryou whimpered as he further emptied what little was left inside of him. "B-B-But…"

"Do you want me to get you some water or something? It might make you feel better." Bakura said, expression softening just a little bit, remembering his past, when he had awoke as the vampire he was now. He was sick for a full week, his body having a harder time than Ryou, because vampire blood ran in his family, and because he was a lot younger than Ryou was when it happened.

Ryou nodded, trembling. As Bakura left, he ran an undamaged hand over his ears, feeling the tips pointed further than they were yesterday. Suddenly, tears were forming in his eyes, and he couldn't hold them back.

Bakura returned about a minute later, holding a medium sized glass of water and forced Ryou to drink it, although the teenager could, to Bakura's pity, barely keep it down. Bakura sighed as he stood up and crossed the room, opening his medicine cabinet, and rummaged through it, extracting a red colored bottle. Prying off the cap, Bakura forced the bottle of blood into Ryou's slim, long fingers. "Drink it. The whole thing."

Ryou looked at him like he was crazy before glancing down at the red liquid. "B-But I…"

"Ryou, you want to get better, don't you? If your body gets used to blood getting in your system, it can adjust quicker, and with less difficulty for you." Bakura crossed his arms, eyes narrowing down as he sat down beside Ryou.

Ryou stared at it for a long second and took a trembling breath, and reluctantly put the bottle to his lips. Bakura watched as Ryou drank it down quickly, the teenager's nose wrinkling slightly at the taste.

"You'll eventually learn what's your favorite and which you don't like at all. From what I've seen, you don't really like that one, but I won't tell you which it is. You'll have to figure it out." Bakura said. "Blood bottles are for your own use, but should be used sparingly. It's healthier to use fresh blood from human veins. Blood bottles are mostly used in an emergency during the day or when you can't get out at night."

Ryou nodded slowly. For some reason the blood was easier to hold down than the water was… But something gave him a feeling things wouldn't continue to be this easy.

* * *

"Ryou, come on." Bakura said, about to leave for his nightly hunt. Ryou, on the other hand, was hesitant, dreading it, knowing he would have to feed as well. Defeated, the teenager stood and followed Bakura outside.

Ryou was hungry, but didn't want to drink blood right now. His reflection in the mirror was almost completely gone now, and all he could see was a rough outline. Soon he wouldn't be able to see what he looked like anymore… His ears were almost completely pointed now, canines lengthened, but not yet as entirely long as Bakura's quite yet. To his relief, his eyes were the same chocolate brown as always.

After locking the front door, Bakura took off in a run, leather trench coat being sent fluttering behind him. Ryou noticed he was able to catch up a lot easier, even though Bakura was still faster. Bakura easily jumped onto the fence, helping Ryou up, and the two ran once again to the corner, hiding behind the brick wall of the grocery store, scanning the landscape for the guards that sometimes stood outside. Seeing no one as usual nowadays, Bakura came out of hiding, walking over to the park bench and sat down, Ryou taking his usual seat beside him.

Bakura smirked as he heard running footsteps of someone hurrying to get home, Bakura standing up and blocking their path, lunging out and capturing their wrists before sinking his white fangs into the soft skin of their throat, biting down, relishing the taste of the crimson blood as his eyes fluttered shut.

Ryou gasped quietly as something swelled up in his chest, the teenager curling his fingers about his shirt, clutching his chest in pain. After Bakura finished, and erased the memory, he came back over to Ryou, dragging him to his feet, and frowned, seeing how Ryou was clutching the spot at his chest. "Ryou? Ryou, are you okay?"

Ryou didn't answer, the world about him spinning. He could smell the scent of blood. He strained to take a step back, but Bakura only inched closer. "Ryou. Tell me what's wrong."

"E-Everything." Ryou said, tears locked in the corners of his eyes. "B-B-Bakura, I-I c-can't take it anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Bakura asked, frowning. "Ryou, you've just become a vampire. Of course you're feeling bad right now…"

The teenager wasn't listening, instead trying to block out the overpowering scent of blood. He was so dizzy…

Bakura's eyes widened when Ryou screamed, the shorter boy pitching forward, clutching his chest. Bakura caught him instantly, frowning deeply. Ryou's body was ice cold, trembling in his arms, Ryou's head bowed, clutching his chest, face paled further. Bakura's widened even further as Ryou curled up slightly, screaming again, Bakura noticing how Ryou's fangs were further lengthening. Ryou's chest was beginning to heave in the need for air, feeling suddenly weak. He glanced down at his trembling hands, noticing the longer nails at the ends of his fingers.

"Ryou?" Bakura asked, hefting the boy in his arms. Ryou felt almost weightless…

"W-What?" Ryou stammered, barely able to hear the words Bakura said.

"What does it feel like?" Bakura asked in concern. Ryou didn't answer, and swallowed deeply. "…Ryou, you need to tell me. I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Ryou swallowed again, his entire body shaking hard. He knew his body was adjusting and probably needed blood, but he didn't want it. He didn't want to hurt those people and he didn't want to be a vampire… "…I…I d…don't…"

Bakura's eyes narrowed slightly as Ryou fell utterly limp in his arms, head hanging backwards, hair dangling down, mouth slightly open, revealing his abnormally long canines. He could feel Ryou's rapidly beating heart in the stillness, his breathing fast and sharp. Bakura's fingers loosened upon Ryou just slightly, and let out a sigh. "…I…know you don't want to feed… I…was the same way at first." Bakura stated before heading back towards the fence that separated his home from the rest of the world, like a barrier he always had to jump over. Bakura jumped easily onto the wooden object, and dropped onto the ground, heading back towards the dwelling. "…But you don't have a choice."

* * *

Bakura bit his bottom lip, drawing a tiny bit of blood from his fangs. Ryou was silent that night, sitting on the couch, curled up with a cushion resting upon his knees, which were drawn up to his chest. His head was resting upon it, not looking up at anything.

It had been about three days since the incident, and Bakura, strangely, couldn't help but worry. Ryou's skin remained paler than normal, and it was obvious he was rapidly losing weight. Even during the day he barely slept, forcing dark circles to appear under his eyes.

"Ryou." Bakura said firmly, Ryou not looking up as his name was called. "Ryou!" Bakura yelled, Ryou not even raising his gaze to look at him. Bakura growled as he got up and stormed over to the couch, Ryou still not looking at him. "_Ryou." _Bakura repeated, his patience growing thin. When Ryou didn't answer, Bakura grabbed his shirt collar, letting out a very loud growl, pulling Ryou close so their faces were only mere inches apart. "What's your problem?!" Bakura hissed.

"…I…" Ryou muttered, but trailed off into silence, swallowing.

"Quit moping around! Just because you've become a vampire doesn't mean it's the end of the world!" Bakura screamed.

"You don't understand!" Ryou yelled back, discarding the couch cushion from his lap. "You just don't understand it!"

"What isn't there to understand?! I was in the same situation as you were!" Bakura yelled. Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura leapt onto the couch, grasping Ryou's shoulders and slammed him into the couch, pinning him down.

"You didn't have to go through this! You just-"

"Yes I did!" Bakura argued, his grasp tightening. "Even though I didn't go to school like you did, my life changed, Ryou. I was sick for a week and I couldn't eat for another one after that. I could barely even keep down blood." Bakura's fingers loosened slightly. "…After that…once…I refused to drink blood…for an entire week. But the scent…was so strong around me…I wound up…getting out of control…and feeding on more people than required…

"I had no family, you know that. So when my time as a vampire emerged, I was alone. I had to figure everything out by myself, and often, I would cause hurt…to my victims…and myself.

"…Basically…I had it tougher than you have it. You're not alone, Ryou. I'm here to help you. You know that. And I don't want to have you fall to pieces in front of me…"

Ryou was silent as Bakura got up and began walking towards the kitchen. "But, whatever. It's not like you'll listen to me anyway." He said quietly.

Ryou silently crept to the doorway, seeing Bakura digging through the fridge again, extracting the bottle of wine from the back, pouring himself a large glass of the red liquid. The thief put the bottle back before near downing his drink and almost slammed his glass down. _Why…is it that he always drinks after an argument?_

Ryou left silently, slipping up the stairs and into his bedroom. He pulled off his clothes, since it was getting close to morning, and changed into another baggy white shirt, it being too large, so the sleeves almost fell down his shoulders, sliding on the pair of blue pajama bottoms. He went over to his bed, clambering onto it, and grasped his pillow tightly, curled up on the bed. He began to quiver, tears slowly going down his face. He didn't like it. He didn't want it to be like this. But he knew he didn't have a choice.

He never noticed Bakura watching him from the doorway. Seeing Ryou lying there, crying, and his outfit…it triggered his memories in an instant, remembering when Ryou was little and would cry at night due to his own memories or other situations…

Bakura silently passed by Ryou's bedroom door as the teenager started crying, entering his own bedroom and climbing up the bedpost before grabbing his pajamas, which were discarded on top of the canopy like always, and quickly changed. Millions of thoughts ran into his mind.

"_Ryou, why do you cry like this?"_

"_I-I c-can't help it, Bakura." Ryou answered, laying flat on his bed._

"_I know." Bakura said with a sigh, "But…you know people don't like to see their friends cry."_

"_I-I k-know." Ryou answered, sitting up, his nine-year-old body so small compared to Bakura's. "B-But…"_

"_No buts." Bakura interrupted, placing a slender hand on Ryou's shoulder, Ryou staring up at him with big, chocolate colored eyes, which were glistening with tears. Bakura looked down at his body, seeing how small his look-alike really was. "You're so small, Ryou…"_

_Ryou swallowed, and didn't answer, in his pajamas, which consisted of an oversized shirt and a pair of pants. Bakura, a smile appearing on his lips, placed his hand on Ryou's fluffy head. "You know, sometimes that's a really good thing."_

Bakura sighed deeply in remembrance. He had to admit it: sometimes, he missed those times… He settled down, pointed ears twitching as he heard Ryou's cries increase, hearing them through the walls. He sighed and headed towards the door, in an attempt to try and calm down Ryou like he had done so many years ago.

* * *

Chapter 3: End.


	4. Chapter 4

...Wow. This a little...depressing. -cough- A lot of you guys just...disappeared on me! Seriously. D:

Anyways, time to answer questions... But there was only one so... -coughs-

**Fyre Spirit**: Actually, each vampire has their own favorite type of blood. Some depends on blood type. Others are things like blood of liars, people with high self-esteem, etc.

* * *

"_Ryou? Ryou, what's wrong?" Bakura asked, crouching down so that he met the child's gaze. His brow furrowed in concern as Ryou glanced up at him with hurt brown eyes._

_Ryou hiccupped and lowered his gaze again. Sniffling, he clutched the sheets on his bed tightly, his pale face streaked with tears. "…Why do you…have to leave so much?" Ryou asked, his voice trembling. "I hate it when you leave," he said, a bitterness in his voice towards the end._

_Bakura sighed deeply, sitting down on the bed beside the seven-year-old albino, his weight making the bed slant downhill slightly. "I know, and you know I'm sorry. But I don't have a choice. What very little of us still remain…we only get to meet twice a year. Once in December, and the other month is picked randomly. I _have_ to go, Ryou."_

_The child sniffed. For three full days, twice a year, Bakura left to go to what he said were 'meetings', but wouldn't say much about it or go any further into detail. But during that time, Ryou was left alone in the huge two-story house, often scared to death to fall asleep at night. The sounds and darkness already made him nervous, and the absence of Bakura only increased his paranoia. "W-Why can't I go with you?"_

_Bakura sighed again. "I'd take you along if you _could _go, Ryou. But…I can't. You're far too young and don't meet the standards."_

"_Is it…because I'm not a vampire, like you are?" Ryou asked, glancing up at Bakura with large, brown eyes._

_Bakura smiled slightly as he ruffled Ryou's hair, pearl white fangs curving from his lips. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." Bakura said, teasing him slightly before standing up and heading towards the door. Ryou watched in silence as Bakura changed out of his shirt and into the long-sleeved, black one, pulling on his raven black sweater and leather trench coat on afterwards, tugging on his boots and laced them up. Bakura walked towards the door, his boots clunking against the hardwood floor in the process._

_Ryou silently clambered out of bed as Bakura's hand clutched the doorknob, Bakura glancing down when he felt a tug on his jeans. Ryou stood beside him, holding out the gray scarf in a small hand. Bakura smiled as he took it, wrapping it about his neck. "I'll be back Sunday, okay, Ryou?"_

_Ryou nodded, and rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve, clad in a far too large shirt, not meeting his gaze. They could hear the wind howling outside, the snow falling hard. It was December the twenty-second._

_Bakura smiled and placed his hands on Ryou's shoulders, which were far larger than Ryou's own. "You'd better behave. I'll bring you back a nice Christmas present, okay?" Bakura said, crimson eyes seeing to be alight._

_Ryou nodded before bursting into tears, burying his head into Bakura's black sweater, crying hard. He couldn't help it…_

"_Hey…" Bakura whispered, gently forcing Ryou's head up so their eyes locked. "You know I don't like it when you cry."_

_Ryou whimpered, clutching Bakura's jacket tightly. Tears continued to rocket down his cheeks. Bakura sighed and picked the boy up, Ryou relishing the warmth of Bakura's cradle. "Hey. I won't be gone long; you know that. I'll make it up to you, Ryou."_

_Ryou reached out with a slender hand as Bakura put him down, the child wanting to be held close again. He wanted that sense of security, not this feeling of dread and fear he currently felt. Bakura shook his head softly, long, thin fingers lingering on Ryou's shoulder. "I can't. I have to go." Bakura said in a whisper, barely heard over the shrieking wind outside._

_Ryou whimpered, desperately capturing Bakura in a hug, but he was so much shorter, so wound up hugging the elder boy's leg instead. Bakura sighed, chuckling softly, and bent down so Ryou could reach. The boy almost instantly flung himself forward, grabbing Bakura in a vice-like hug, the vampire hugging him back before he pulled away. Heading for the door, Bakura made sure to lock it before he left, shutting it behind himself. Ryou scrambled over to the window, clambering onto the windowsill, seeing Bakura's figure slipping into the darkness._

Bakura sighed deeply, hands folded behind his head. He was lying in bed currently, mind replaying his memories. After spending almost ten minutes trying to calm Ryou down, the teenager had finally drifted off into an exhausted sleep. Bakura sighed again, rolling over onto his side.

_Ryou was silent, his forehead touching the glass of the window, the child seated in the windowsill, still in his pajamas, which was nothing more than an oversized tee shirt and a pair of pants. It was getting late now, but Ryou couldn't sleep. It was Christmas today. That's when Bakura was supposed to be back._

_Ryou felt his eyes get heavy, and rubbed at them desperately, straining to stay awake. He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was almost two in the morning. Ryou yawned, and refocused his vision to the window, where currently, outside, the snow continued to pile up, the wind howling. He flinched as he heard the key enter the lock, before the door swung open, letting in a huge gust of wind and ice cold snow, followed by Bakura's tall, lean figure._

_The man walked across the room, not noticing Ryou, his boots clunking against the floorboards. "It always snows so much when I'm gone." He muttered with a sigh, plopping down into a chair, and unlaced his boots, tugging them off, followed by taking off his trench coat and left his sweater on, since it was rather cold in the house, Ryou not knowing how to work the thermostat, and not being near tall enough to reach it either. Pulling the black bag from his shoulder, he set it down in his lap, and finally looked up, seeing Ryou sitting in the windowsill, his eyes widening. "Ryou?"_

_Ryou climbed down from the window, racing over to Bakura and grabbed him in a hug, but the height difference once more got in the way, the child instead grabbing Bakura's right leg in a tight hug. Bakura couldn't help but smile._

_Bakura got down on the floor, crouching down so that Ryou could reach, the boy grabbing him in a tight embrace. Bakura smiled as he stood up, picking up Ryou in the process. "…I…I missed you." Ryou whispered, face buried in Bakura's sweater, the child trembling as he strained to hold back tears._

"_I know. I missed you too, kid." Bakura said, grinning slightly. A smile mingled on Bakura's lips as he sat down, still holding on to Ryou. "How much sleep have you gotten tonight?"_

"…_I took a nap earlier, but…I've been up since then." Ryou said._

"_Hey, that's fine. At least you got _some_ sleep." Bakura said, suppressing a yawn. He was rather tired…_

"…_You didn't get any sleep while you were gone?" Ryou asked innocently, staring up at him._

"_Not really." Bakura said with a grumble, placing his elbow on the arm of the chair, resting his head in his hand and rubbing the space underneath his eyes. "I don't like it when I have to leave. It's so _boring_." Bakura whined, sinking down his chair, pouting. He felt his eyes starting to grow heavy…_

"_Bakura?" Ryou asked softly. Bakura slightly opened his eyes, "Hn?"_

"…_You can go ahead upstairs if you're that tired…" Ryou whispered. Bakura sighed, closing his eyes momentarily._

"…_Not right now." Bakura muttered, yawning quietly. "I don't want you staying up all by yourself."_

"…_Are you sure?"_

_Bakura nodded, standing upright, and began walking in the direction of the kitchen, Ryou running after him, trying to keep up with his long strides. Bakura blinked heavily, rubbing at his eyes. Ryou watched as Bakura made himself a large glass of coffee, grumbling to himself as he stirred it. Ryou smiled slightly, tugging on Bakura's jeans. The man glanced down at him, and blinked. "…Oh."_

_Bakura bent down, picking the child up and set him down on the counter, "Do you want anything?"_

_Ryou shook his head slightly. Bakura grinned a little as he clambered up onto the counter, taking a seat beside Ryou. His nose wrinkled slightly at the taste, but he needed caffeine right now…_

"…_Bakura?" Ryou asked softly._

"_Eh?" Bakura asked, lowering his cup down a bit._

"…_I…I got you a present…" Ryou whispered, blushing furiously, fidgeting._

_Bakura blinked at him, and set down his glass. "…You know you didn't have to-"_

"_But I wanted to!" Ryou interrupted. "…Just stay here." Ryou said, jumping down from the countertop. He raced into the living room, and reached under the tree that had been propped up in one corner, extracting the small box. Racing back into the kitchen, he froze, seeing Bakura gone. "Bakura?"_

_Ryou jumped as a hand touched his shoulder. "Sorry. I had to go get something."_

_Bakura blinked, picking Ryou up again. The older boy leaned against the counter, placing Ryou down beside him. His eyes widened as Ryou thrust the black wrapped box into his hands. The child lowered his gaze, blushing slightly. Bakura smiled, setting down the other box, and started removing the paper from Ryou's. He froze, however, at what he saw when he lifted up the lid. "…Where'd you get this?"_

"_I…I'm sorry, but…"_

"_Hey, I didn't say you were in trouble for it." Bakura said, lifting the dagger from the box and testing the edge on his finger. "It's sharp, I'll give it that."_

_Ryou couldn't help but smile._

"…_Oh!" Bakura said suddenly, picking up the box that was still wrapped and handed it to Ryou. "Here."_

_Ryou stared at him before looking down at the box, untying the ribbon and afterwards ripping off the paper. He frowned, opening the package before a smile broke out across his lips. Bakura was fidgeting slightly, not looking at Ryou as the child lifted the camcorder from the box. Ryou opened the section used to watch the videos, and managed to turn it on. His smile widened when Bakura appeared on the tape._

"_Hi. So, um… I don't really know what I'm doing here… So don't laugh at me…" Bakura muttered, standing outside, snow visibly whirling around. "…Um…you can probably tell it's snowing…and I'm on my way back home right now._

"…_Yeah, it's cold. Have you noticed how it always snows a lot when I'm gone? It-" Bakura was interrupted by a large gust of wind, kicking up his hair and scarf. Bakura yelped as the camera slipped from his quivering fingers._

_Ryou chuckled, the camera lying on it side. Bakura came into view, and gingerly picked it back up. "Crap, I'm such a klutz, Ryou." He muttered, shaking his head. "Anyway, the guys from the meeting say hey, and I should be home in about…two hours from now. And I'll shut up now with my rambling, especially since it'll probably take me five minutes at the very least to figure out how turn this thing off!"_

_The tape ended about a minute after that, the rest being Bakura struggling to find the power off button. Ryou smiled as he turned it off, setting it down. "…Thank you."_

_Bakura looked up as Ryou grabbed him in a tight hug, squeezing hard. The child's face was buried in Bakura's soft, raven black sweater, Ryou trembling. "T-thank you so much."_

_Bakura smiled as he broke away, disappearing from the room and returned about a minute or so later, hefting his coat in one hand, his bag in the other. He clambered back onto the counter, draping his coat over Ryou before rummaging through his bag. Pulling out a container, he slipped it into Ryou's slim, small hands. "Here's cake."_

_Ryou smiled as he set the container down, grabbing Bakura in a tight hug. Bakura made a squeaking sound as he fell backwards, falling down upon the counter, sprawled outwards. Bakura laughed as he ruffled Ryou's hair. "You hug harder than you fight, kid."_

_Ryou blushed slightly, Bakura breaking into a hard fit of laughter, and propped himself up on his elbows._

"…Bakura?"

The thief opened his eyes, and glanced towards the doorway, where Ryou was standing. "…What is it?"

Ryou didn't answer.

Bakura frowned as he climbed out of bed, crossing the enormous bedroom and over to the doorway. Ryou looked up at him slowly, tears glistening in his eyes. "Ryou…what's wrong?" Bakura asked softly, leading Ryou to the bed, where he then forced the albino to sit.

Ryou whimpered. "M-My…reflection is gone." He said quietly. Bakura's eyes noticed Ryou's abnormally long canines, and sighed, taking a seat beside Ryou.

Ryou was stiff as Bakura draped an arm across his shoulders. "…Ryou…I told you before. It'll take time to adjust to these changes…but…I'm here to help you."

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura grabbed him in a hug, Ryou's head over his shoulder. Ryou's chin trembled as he buried his head into the man's shoulder, beginning to cry as he draped his arms across Bakura's back, desperately hugging him in return.

* * *

Chapter 4: End.


	5. Chapter 5

Bleh, slow update. Sorry about that. -sweatdrop-

* * *

Ryou glanced up as the doorbell rang. _Now who could that be? _The albino thought, frowning. It was almost two in the morning, and it wasn't like his 'friends' would come by any time soon.

"I'll get it!" Bakura said quickly, walking briskly over to the front door, charcoal trench coat swaying.

Ryou lips remained curved into a frown as he peered about the kitchen doorway. His eyes widened at the sight of the figure standing there.

_Every day when he came home, the white-haired man was always sitting on the fence, or the roof of his house. Even when it snowed or rained, he always sat there, except during the day, his legs dangling and he always seemed to be in another world._

_They never spoke, although occasionally, the man would smile slightly down at him. They lived near miles apart, Ryou being driven home every day after school, and could remember seeing the man inside his home, peering out through the black curtains. Or when he came home late at night, there he was, sitting either on the fence or his roof._

_But one day it all changed._

_His mother never came to pick him up that afternoon. It was snowing hard outside, increasing by the minute. He chose to walk home instead, his book bag slung across one shoulder._

_He still had thousands of blocks to go, and it was getting darker and darker, snow falling harder and harder. It soon was getting hard to breathe, the flakes of snow seeming to suffocate him. He came to a screeching stop at the figure that stood in his path._

"_Hello, little one." The man said as Ryou took an uneasy step backwards, swallowing hard. The man lashed out, grabbing his forearms tightly. "May I…partake from your neck?"_

"_N-No! Leave me alone!" Ryou screamed, desperately trying to pull away. Tears were glistening in his large, brown eyes. The five-year-old froze as something sharp dug into his skin, and he screamed louder than ever before. "Leave me alone!" He began to cry, desperately trying to pull himself free._

"_Hey!"_

_Ryou glanced behind the figure, seeing the familiar face of the white-haired man darting up the street. "Marik…let him go."_

_The albino pried Ryou free from the blonde's grasp. The child's chin was trembling as tears trickled down his face. "Hey…are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"_

_Ryou shook his head slowly, crying freely now, darting behind the albino, and hid, grasping his jeans tightly. The man sighed as he wrapped his hands about the child's torso, picking him up and held him in his left arm. "Hey…do you have a name?"_

"_R-R-Ryou." The child said quietly, sniffling as he rubbed at his eyes before burying his head into the man's sweater._

"_What are you doing out here all by yourself? You usually come by here with your mother, don't you?"_

_Ryou nodded, feeling sick. "S-She never came today."_

_The man sighed. "And you don't know how to get home, do you?" Ryou shook his head. "…Do you think you're up to staying at my place?"_

_Ryou nodded, face buried in the man's shirt. Despite the fact he knew nothing about this person, for some reason, it gave him a sense of security being held close by him._

_The albino sighed, directing Marik down the street with his free arm, and hissed into the blonde's ear, "You're sick. Trying to feed on a child…"_

_Ryou watched as the man approached the fence, leaping onto it and dropped to the ground, Marik following suit. "W-What's your name?" The child asked as Marik forced the front door open._

"_Oh…I'm Bakura."_

_Bakura shut the door behind them, and put Ryou down, walking off towards the kitchen, his boots clunking against the worn hardwood floor. Ryou scampered after him, and stopped in the doorway. Marik was in there too._

_Bakura smiled a little as he felt weight settle on his jeans, and glanced down, seeing Ryou grasping his pant leg, taking a hiding spot behind him. After Marik left the room, Bakura picked the boy up again, and set him down on the counter. "Sorry about that. Marik…when his senses kick on, he can get a little messed up in the head." Bakura said, chuckling softly, and ruffled the child's hair. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."_

_Ryou jumped down from the countertop as Bakura headed towards the living room, the smaller one racing to catch up. Bakura paused at the base of the stairs before starting up again._

_A smile tugged at Bakura's lips as Ryou reached up, grabbing Bakura's wrist with a small, trembling hand. Bakura hoisted the boy off the staircase, holding onto him as he went upwards._

_Ryou's eyes widened a little at the size of Bakura's bedroom, and the older male set Ryou down on his bed. "Let me get you something to change into…" Bakura muttered as he began rummaging through his clothes. Ryou, idly, fiddled with a string on his jacket sleeve, looking around at everything._

"_Here." Bakura said, placing a dark gray shirt into Ryou's hands. "Sorry, it's as small as I have…"_

_Ryou stood up, and Bakura turned away as Ryou began to change. The other boy merely stared at the vacant space on the wall until Ryou's timid voice called out, "I'm finished."_

_Bakura turned around only then. Ryou had his gaze set on the floor, fidgeting. Bakura's shirt was far too large; the sleeves constantly slid down his shoulders and the bottom hem almost reached the start of his knees. Bakura, without thinking, blurted out, "Man you're _tiny_…"_

_Ryou closed his eyes for a second or two, and swallowed. Bakura sighed, touching his shoulder gently. "Sorry. That…may have come out wrong."_

"…_It's…it's okay." Ryou whispered._

_Bakura picked him up, and set him down on the bed towards the top, near the pillows. "You're a quiet one… How old are you, anyway?"_

_Ryou swallowed again. "F-Five."_

"_You're rather mature for a five-year-old… Most of them are still running around screaming in circles."_

_Ryou lowered his voice to a whisper. "…I…I wasn't really ever the loud one. Mum said she thought I was dead when I was born because I wasn't crying, and I barely cried when I was little… I-I've never had many friends. I was always considered the quiet one, the one who was too shy to talk to people… I've never been a hyper one. I-I guess I was taught different than the rest…"_

_Bakura blinked, his expression softening slightly. "Well…you're talking to me, aren't you?"_

"_I-It's different." Ryou whispered. "T-This is different."_

_Bakura bit his bottom lip for a second, frowning. As Ryou sniffed, rubbing at his eyes, straining to bite back tears, he leaned close, placing a hand on Ryou's fluffy head. "Hey. Why don't I call your mom or something? Can you give me the number?"_

_Ryou nodded weakly, and obeyed._

_Bakura smiled down at him and dialed it, and raised his cell phone to his ear. Ryou stared at him for a long while, and Bakura's hopes sank. There was no answer. "…I…don't think they're home." Bakura said quietly, shutting his phone. "Do you…want to stay with me tonight?"_

_Ryou nodded, and sniffled._

"_All right. Don't worry, I'll make sure Marik doesn't come back in here, okay?" Bakura said, ruffling the boy's hair._

_Ryou nodded in silence, and Bakura smiled._

_It was minutes later when Ryou broke the silence. "Kura?"_

_Bakura blushes slightly at the sudden nickname. "Y-Yeah?"_

"…_Why are you always sitting on the roof?" Ryou asked, eyes shimmering with pure innocence._

"…_It's a long story." Bakura said simply, and sat down on the bed right beside Ryou. "Anyway, are you hungry?"_

_Ryou nodded again._

_Bakura chuckled. "Come on, then." He muttered, picking Ryou up. The child almost fell asleep in the man's arms. Bakura marveled at the child's learning ability, surprisingly able to pronounce things without a 'w', and knowing words Bakura didn't think he would know at his age._

_He carried the boy into the kitchen, and still held onto him in his left arm, picking out a carton of macaroni._

Ryou blinked suddenly, seeing Bakura standing in front of him. "Ryou? Are you okay? You just kind of spaced out…" He murmured, Marik standing behind him, a black scarf hiding some of his face.

Ryou swallowed hard. "I-I'm fine. Really."

Something about that man still frightened him.

_Bakura climbed the stairs, hefting a sleeping Ryou in his left arm. He opened the door almost silently, and frowned, seeing Marik standing there. "What are you doing in here?"_

"_Waiting." Marik scowled at the child in Bakura's arms. "So. You're keeping him, I suppose?"_

"_If his mother doesn't show up, yes. It wouldn't be fair to leave him out on the streets. And besides, I can tell this kid is way too gentle to go to a foster home or something." Bakura said, heading over to the bed, and gently set Ryou down, draping the covers over his little body._

_Marik snorted. "You've always been such a softy."_

"_Have not." Bakura said flatly. "You're just mad because I wouldn't let me use him as a blood source." He muttered, eyes narrowing._

Ryou blinked, coming slowly back to reality. But he spaced out once more seconds after.

"_Ryou…I need to talk to you."_

"_About what, Kura?" Ryou asked, smiling slightly, who had been living in the Bakura household for almost a month now._

"…_I…I found out today…" Bakura bit his lip, and sighed deeply, crouching down to meet the child's gaze. "Your mother…she's gone, Ryou."_

"_Gone where?" Ryou asked innocently. "Can we go find her?"_

_Bakura shook his head, and hesitated for a long time before he spoke. "Ryou…she…she's…dead."_

"…_W…What?" Ryou asked, eyes growing wide. "No… No! She can't be! SHE CAN'T BE!" He screamed, and burst into tears._

_Bakura scooped him up in his arms, Ryou sobbing instantly into the man's shirt. He rocked Ryou gently until he stopped crying, and looked down at him. "I won't leave you by yourself, okay? You can stay here with me." He said, smiling._

"_T-Thank you." Ryou stammered._

Ryou blinked again, drowsily. He could remember hiding from Marik all the time, scared of him and the shadowed lavender eyes he had. He would always hide behind Bakura's leg when he was little, clutching the man's jeans tightly. And when Bakura would take him places, he'd clutch the elder boy's hand as if it was his only lifeline to reality, and wouldn't let go, not wanting to get lost or separated from the one who took him in during his time of need.

"You've grown a lot bigger since the last time I've seen you." Marik said emotionlessly, arms crossed.

Ryou swallowed hard. Marik had left the Bakura household when he had turned six… He still remembered?

"Y-Yeah." Ryou said simply. He wanted to run away. He didn't trust this man at all.

"You still look the same." Marik said, advancing a step, Ryou backing up. "And I bet your blood is probably exactly the same as before."

"G-Get away!" Ryou screamed. He remembered when Marik had tried to bite him before, taking his blood for a meal many times when he lived in Bakura's house.

"What's going on in here?" Bakura asked, frowning deeply.

Ryou bolted, and hid behind Bakura, his heart pounding.

"…Nothing." Marik said simply, and walked out of the room.

"W-What's _he _doing here?" Ryou asked, voice trembling.

"He's coming over for less than a week for the holidays." Bakura said, smiling a little. "I won't let him hurt you, okay?" Bakura said, placing a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou nodded weakly. For some reason that didn't make him feel any better… And he had a huge feeling of fear and dread forming in the pits of his stomach.

* * *

Chapter 5: End.


	6. Chapter 6

Bleh, slow update...sorry about that...

* * *

Ryou hesitantly came downstairs. He could hear the two older boys talking and laughing, the glow from a lamp sending the shadows dancing against the walls. He peeked around the corner silently.

"Oi, Ryou!" Bakura called, slipping on his jacket. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Leaving to where?" Ryou asked, frowning as he came into the room, a slender hand brushing the wall, claws at the ends of his fingers now.

"A little hunt." Bakura said, a glint of mischief in his dark eyes. He glanced at Marik, and smirked.

Ryou swallowed hard. "…I…I don't know…"

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. It'll be fun." Bakura said, zipping up his jacket.

"…But…but I…" Ryou stammered, trying to think of an excuse. Not only did he not like the idea, but going into the darkness with Marik tagging along was just a nightmare.

"Come on, you need a little fresh air!" Bakura cried out, and grabbed Ryou's arm, the teenager already wearing his jacket, and pulled him into the night with Marik in the lead. "Besides, we haven't eaten since yesterday."

Ryou managed to pull his arm free, putting distance between Marik and himself. His heartstrings tugged painfully as he noticed the two older boys changing, expressions flipping and the waywardness growing in their eyes. He knew what was going to happen.

Bakura went first, grabbing a lone person on the sidewalk and almost instantly sank his fangs into their neck. He drank deeply, and roughly pushed the person away, erasing the memory, and wiped his bloodied mouth with his jacket sleeve.

Ryou felt his senses as a vampire growing. He could smell the blood, and he felt his ears twitch slightly when he heard a rustling sound. His head turned, and he gasped.

Marik had a person enclosed as well, biting into their pale neck with his fangs, which strangely, Ryou hadn't noticed until now. A crimson ribbon trailed down their skin and onto their clothes.

And suddenly Ryou felt his head spin in an enormous cloud of thoughts.

But Ryou had no time to ask anything, for the two males were running off, taking more and more people as victims. Bats in the sky shrieked loudly, and a small wind kicked up.

Ryou stood there silently. His head was swimming with thoughts, and the scent of blood. All three boys could smell it perfectly, and Ryou was almost able to taste it. He took a small step towards Bakura, and a tremble ran down his spine as the scent of blood grew notably.

Bakura groaned as he stood there, lips and fangs bloodstained, his shirt spotted with it. His pupils had contracted slightly, pointed ears twitching slightly as he heard footsteps not too far away.

He snatched the victim up in high speed and bit them, greedily drinking their blood, savoring the taste of all the crimson. Marik was the same, drinking deeply from his victims' necks.

"Come on, Ryou." Bakura whispered. "You're part of the group now."

Ryou took another shaky step. He was struggling to fight his senses, but his vision was focusing on red, ears twitching at every sound and the smell of blood filled his head.

And Bakura's eyes widened to the size of saucers in an instant.

Ryou stumbled to him, and opened his mouth to say something. But nothing came out, his pearl white fangs revealed. His eyes stared upwards, meeting Bakura's own. "…I…I'm sorry."

Bakura made a noise as Ryou reached up, and grabbed his neck between his teeth, sinking in with his fangs. Bakura fell dead silent, unable to move. His brain didn't register what was going on, at least not at first. The two stood there for almost a full minute, but then Ryou pulled away.

It was so…different. Bakura's blood, the man who had taken him in so long ago…it tasted so very different from what the other samples he had tried. Ryou, stunned at his own actions, stumbled backwards in uneasiness. What has he done?

"Ryou…?" Bakura asked, and reached for the boy. But Ryou shook his head, staggering backwards, further and faster by the second, until he tripped and fell onto his rear. He was almost in tears, shaking with blood trickling down his chin, staining his lips and once flawless shirt.

Bakura took his own stumbled steps, almost in a drunken state from the access blood, a vampire-only condition. He could smell it, taste it, see crimson spots in his vision… "Ryou…" He said quietly, and reached for the teen, who seemed to no longer notice him.

Ryou scooted away weakly, and whimpered, shutting his eyes. He flinched and stiffened as Bakura's hand touched his shoulder, and his eyes flew open.

Bakura's heart sank as Ryou got to his feet and ran, running away as fast as his long legs allowed. "Ryou…"

_I…I can't… I can't do this… _He thought, panting as he ran. The still notable scent of blood seemed to overshadow him like a cloud, millions of thoughts running through his near frozen brain. His hands, clenched into fists, shook slightly, perfect claws pricking his skin. He didn't look back at the two others, and fought back tears. He just didn't understand it, and besides, it just wasn't fair! Why did this have to happen?

He ran to the house without stopping, and raced into his room, and sobbed on his bed, crying into his pillow and hugging the sheets between his slender arms.

Bakura sighed deeply, and ran a hand through his hair, before rejoining Marik, moving onward into the darkness, continuing their feast on the naïve humans.

* * *

Ryou awoke slowly. He had fallen asleep at dawn, and it was currently dusk, the curtains still pulled. He lifted his head, stifling a yawn. He came to a sudden realization of what had happened last night and instantly lay back down.

Ten minutes passed before Ryou found the proper composition to get out of bed. He walked shakily downstairs to find Bakura and Marik in the living room, Bakura on the couch and Marik on the floor. Ryou bit his bottom lip hard, drawing a little bit of blood.

Blood stained their lips and faces, shirts spotted with it. Ryou couldn't tell if they were sleeping or unconscious, but either way, he didn't want them to wake up right now.

Quietly he sat down in the armchair beside the couch, and pulled his legs up to his chest, quickly becoming enveloped in thought. He puzzled over it all in silence.

He knew Marik was a vampire. All those times when he was younger the man had tried to use him as a source… But Bakura had never mentioned Marik after he had left on his birthday. And Bakura never told him in advance the man was coming. Couldn't he feel his fear and at least ask him first?

Bakura had revealed his own vampire secret when he was younger. He had been extra careful when Ryou was little, not showing the boy his inner self, or use him as a source, not ever… He always drank his blood in private, not showing it to Ryou. And when he was little he never really understood why Bakura struggled to stay awake during the day, and stayed up all night. He never understood his fangs and claws and weird ways, like not letting sunlight into the house. At least, until he revealed what was going on. Then it all fell into line.

But what was the biggest unsolved mystery was his vampire image. Who had taken his human self away? Why? Was it all planned out, or a mere coincidence?

Ryou froze as he heard a low groan, and stiffened, seeing Marik stirring. His heart picked up speed, beating forcefully. His fear was bubbling from the pits of his stomach now.

"Well, now. Look who we have here…" Marik said as he sat up, grinning at Ryou. He smirked wider at Ryou's noticeable shiver. "Why did you run away last night?"

Ryou didn't answer, and didn't meet the man's gaze.

Marik's smirk widened. "Can't take it, can you?" He asked, and stood up, approaching Ryou, and stopped only inches from the chair. "Of course…being a vampire isn't the easiest thing in the world… And for softer ones like you, it's only harder."

Ryou clamped his eyes shut. "T-That's not true…"

"Oh, but it is. You're too soft, kid. What were you thinking all those years ago, when Bakura offered to take you in? You're lucky he didn't go berserk and use you as a source…"

"Like you tried to do to me hundreds of times?" Ryou asked bitterly, and glowered up at the blonde through clenched teeth.

"Oh, moody, are we?" Marik asked, hands on his hips. "I tried to do you a favor. I was getting you ready for what was going to eventually come into your life!" He said, and laughed, a laugh that made Ryou shiver. "And then, what do you know? You follow Bakura like a mother duck and get your human side ripped from your grasp…"

Ryou blinked, and his hands curled into fists.

"You're a fool, Ryou. So naïve and soft and inexperienced… You should be thanking who took your human part away!" He laughed again.

"Shut up! I…I'm new to this. Even though Bakura's a vampire, it doesn't mean he told me about it right away!" Ryou yelled, sitting up.

"Oh, of course not… Or perhaps you're just too slow to be able to figure it out."

Ryou growled loudly as Marik reached for him, but it didn't accomplish anything. With a snarl he bit into the man's arm, drawing blood.

Bakura's eyes flew open from all the noise. He sat up, and looked around, eyes widening at the sight. Ryou in the armchair and Marik standing there, Ryou's eyes shut tight and biting deeply into the blonde's arm, blood trickling. "Ryou, what are you doing?!"

Ryou opened his eyes, but didn't let go. His heart hurt, and he was cold with pure fear. His mouth was filling up with Marik's blood, but he refused to swallow.

"Ryou…let go." Bakura said as he stood up, approaching the two.

Ryou whimpered and bit down harder, earning a greater stream of blood going down Marik's arm and in his mouth.

"Ryou, please." Bakura said gently, standing beside Marik now. He grimaced, seeing Ryou's jaw tighten further. "Ryou…" He said in the softest tone he could muster, and touched Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou whimpered again, and bit down as hard as he possibly could. His mouth was full of blood, and blood was streaming down Marik's arm now. But Bakura was here now…

Bakura felt relief as Ryou slowly loosened his grip before letting go of Marik's now fairly damaged arm, coated in blood and two deep fang marks buried in. Ryou fled to Bakura, burying his head into his shirt and sobbed, getting a large stain of Marik's blood on the man's shirt.

Marik snarled, and glared at the two before stalking off to bandage his arm.

"Ryou…are you okay? What happened?" Bakura asked, looking down at Ryou.

Ryou sniffled, and pulled away slowly. He glared at Bakura, and huffed. "I should be asking you that."

"What do you mean…?"

"You invited him here! You know how much I freaked out when I was younger, so what made you think now would be any different? And after all the times he tried to use me as a blood source?! You don't even know how much he scared me…" Ryou murmured. "You don't understand…"

Bakura sighed. "Ryou…I'm sorry. But he'll be gone soon, and things will be normal. I promise."

"…Things won't be normal ever again, Bakura. Normal faded away when my human image was taken away…"

Bakura bit his bottom lip in thought. He could remember these types of conversations with Ryou when he was little… "Tell you what. You want to go out for a walk with me?"

Ryou hesitated for a long while, and sighed. "Fine…"

"Good. I want to talk to you, Ryou." Bakura said, and stood up, taking Ryou with him, heading for the door.

* * *

Chapter 6: End.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys. Yeah it's been a while... Sorry about that...

* * *

Shadows snaked across the streets, and in certain spots, the lit streetlamps pierced the darkness. They were deep within the town now: so far away from home…

"…Ryou… Talk to me." Bakura said, seeing how quiet Ryou was being.

Ryou said nothing, keeping his gaze on the sidewalk.

Bakura sighed, removing his hands from his pockets. He tried to place his right hand on Ryou's shoulder, but the teenager snapped away, glaring at him. "…Ryou, please. You agreed to come with me so we could talk. I told you I was sorry…"

"…You just…don't understand it." Ryou whispered, and stopped walking.

Bakura stopped as well, raising a perplexed eyebrow. Ryou's head was bowed, his bangs hiding his eyes. "Ryou…"

"I…I have to go to school, Bakura. Without an education I can't get a job…"

"A job doesn't make a difference. Vampires don't need food or lights."

"We still have payments, you know. The bills don't pay themselves…" Ryou's voice grew quieter. "And things just keep getting better and _better_… Now _he's_ here…"

Bakura stood there quietly, unsure of what to say. He could hear Ryou's voice trembling now.

"You act like everything is all right, but it's not." Ryou's voice shook more. "Everything is ruined. I can't…I can't do anything towards my future being a vampire, Bakura. Vampires…vampires…"

Bakura's expression softened as Ryou started crying. Hesitantly, he reached out, putting his hands on Ryou's shaking shoulders. "Ryou…I promise you…it'll eventually get better… It may not seem like it now, but just trust me on this…"

Ryou pushed Bakura weakly. "L-Let me go… Please…just…leave me alone…"

Bakura removed his hands, staring down at the weakly trembling Ryou. "But…"

"Just…just go. I…I just…want to be alone right now…"

Bakura sighed, his clawed fingers briefly lingering on Ryou's shoulder. "All right. I'll be at home. Just come back before dawn, okay?" He removed his hand.

Ryou watched him leave. The man had his hands tucked causally in his pockets, and was walking at his typical pace down the sidewalk.

Ryou hesitantly sat down on a bench. He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, and sniffed.

* * *

Bakura awoke at dusk. It was pouring rain outside, meaning there was no sun setting in the distance. He opened the curtains, able to enjoy the rain falling. He sighed lightly.

He peered into Ryou's bedroom, a little surprised to find him not there. Bakura started down the stairs, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. He made his way down, and into the living room. Marik was on the couch, reading a magazine, but no Ryou. He checked the kitchen. Ryou wasn't there either.

"Looking for your little broken vampire?"

Bakura growled a little. "Maybe."

He didn't give Marik a chance to answer. He made his way into the kitchen, looking briefly over the refrigerator for notes. He didn't see any from Ryou. It didn't make any sense! Ryou _always _left him a note or told him when he was going somewhere.

Realization struck Bakura then. _Could…he have not returned home last night?_

"Worried, aren't you? Not that I blame you. That child can't handle reality…"

"Shut it." Bakura snarled, turning on his heel to find Marik in the doorway. "Ryou can handle his life just fine. He's always been a smart kid. He's just…a little insecure right now…"

"Isn't he always? From what I remember, he would always cling to you, afraid to let go. He was afraid of me too…"

"Of course he was. You tried to drink his blood when he was about five. You probably scared him half to death."

"It was fun, you know."

"You're sick…" Bakura growled, heading for the door. "You always got such an _enjoyment_ at causing people fear. And children at that…"

"They have a right to know what's going on about them."

"Our race is supposed to be kept a _secret_. What don't you understand about that?!"

Suddenly the front door opened. Ryou's shadow fell onto the floor as he walked inside, dripping with rainwater.

"Ryou? Where have you been?" Bakura asked. He didn't sound strict, but almost worried…

However, Ryou didn't answer, and merely trudged towards the living room.

The phone rang. When Ryou didn't get up, Bakura resorted to answering it himself. Picking up the phone, he put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Is Ryou there?"

Bakura raised a snowy eyebrow. "Who is this?" He asked, not identifying the male teenage voice on the other line.

"It's…a friend from school."

Bakura's grip on the phone tightened so much he nearly broke it. Thinking it was probably one of those 'occasional friends' that Ryou constantly had, he growled low. However, he didn't want to cause any trouble. Making his way into the living room, he found Ryou curled up on the corner of the couch, shivering with cold. "Here. It's for you."

Ryou looked up, and hesitantly took the phone from Bakura's pale hand. He lifted it, and spoke in a low voice, "Hello…?"

Bakura left the room, and went upstairs to the bedroom, where another phone was. He picked it up. He didn't like the idea of eavesdropping, but with how Ryou was feeling, and him not trusting those 'friends' of his…

Bakura lifted the phone to his ear, barely even breathing as he listened. He cold easily tell the two voices apart.

"Hey, Ryou. It's Malik." A pause. "Hey, who was that who picked up the phone?"

Ryou's voice trembled with hesitation. "T…That was Bakura…"

"Who's Bakura?"

"He's…" Ryou stopped. "That doesn't matter. Why did you call?"

"Oh. Right, sorry. Well, you've been out of school for a while now… The teachers are wondering where you are, and some of us are worried…"

_Yeah right. False worry… Those part-time 'friends' of his… _Bakura almost growled into the phone, but kept silent.

"Anyway, are you sick or something?" Malik's voice was louder, clearer. "I've been looking for you."

Then Ryou's voice dropped even further. Bakura thought he was going to cry. "…S…Some…things…just came up… T…That's…that's all…"

"Are you sure? You don't sound so good."

"…Up all night…" It was true, wasn't it? Ryou's voice shook.

"Oh…okay… Well… Do you think you'll be back soon?"

"…I…I can…try to make…make it tomorrow…" Ryou fell silent.

"All right. I'll look for you. Bye, Ryou."

The line went silent. Bakura hung up himself, and put the phone back on the receiver. He growled deep within his throat. Just _great. Now that Malik kid is trying to get him to come back to school. Ryou isn't even doing so well right now, so what makes him think he can return to school so easily?!_

Bakura was raging down the stairs. He shoved Marik out of the way, still angry at him, and went straight into the living room. _"Ryou."_

Ryou flinched, lifting his head. "W-What is it…?"

"Don't play stupid with me! I heard! I heard every part of that conversation with that _fake_ little friend of yours!"

Ryou's eyes widened before they narrowed. "Malik _is_ my friend! He's not like the others! And why were you eavesdropping in the first place?!"

"And why do _you _think that you're going to school?! You're still not adjusted! Things will fall apart if you go now! What if you have a rampage? Or the sun comes out?"

Ryou didn't answer that.

"Just let him go tomorrow, Bakura." Marik said, leaning over the stair railing. "If he gets hurt, it's his own fault. Let him learn it the hard way."

"He won't even be able to stay awake." He glared in Ryou's direction. "Look, Ryou. I'm just trying to do this for your own good… You won't be able to make it in school. Just stay home…" Bakura's voice had dropped its hardness.

Ryou's right hand balled into a fist. "…No… No. I have to go back sooner or later. If…what I've heard about vampires is true…then the longer I wait, then my vampire image will only further awaken. Maybe…I should just go when I have the chance…"

"And how are you going to explain it all in a lie to those little creatures you call friends? And when you don't eat at lunch? Then what, Ryou?"

Ryou was almost in tears. "I can't help it that they're not always there for me! But they're better than nothing! I would just tell them plain out what I think but…but I don't…" Ryou took a quivering breath. "I don't want to be alone! You of all people should know that, Bakura…"

"Ryou, sometimes it's better to be alone that to be constantly let down be false figures in your life."

"S-Stop it! L-Leave me alone!" Ryou was on his feet and running up the stairs. "Y-You're wrong!"

Ryou pushed past Marik and retreated to his bedroom. He slammed the door and locked it. He weak-heartedly changed out of his wet clothes and into a dry pair, before he climbed onto his bed.

He just laid there, with his head on the pillow, and staring off at the wall.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to scream.

_I have to go back to school… Then they'll be wondering where I disappeared to… And I can't say I moved…because the phone lines are still intact…_

_This is going to be such a long week…_

Ryou sighed quietly. He wasn't sure how long he was sitting there. His sharp hearing could pick up the yelling from downstairs; apparently a fresh argument between Marik and Bakura.

Ryou rummaged through his drawer, going to the very bottom, and extracted the picture. It was a sketch, colored brilliantly. He could remember him and Bakura going to the mall on his birthday… Ryou had wanted one done for memories…

Ryou's fingertips traced the picture. Tears were forming in his eyes. They were sitting on the bench together, Bakura's height so much greater than his own. He was seven, sitting there, smiling at Bakura's side happily. Bakura, on the other hand, wasn't.

Soon Ryou fell asleep, the sketch lying on the side table.

Bakura was going up the stairs. Approaching Ryou's bedroom, he tried to open the door, but frowned.

Locked.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. _Just great. Now he's upset._

"He'll probably make himself go…even though it's only going to be harder on him…" Bakura started back downstairs. "Fine. He'll just have to learn the hard way…"

* * *

Chapter 7: End.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Two updates in one day. :D

* * *

Ryou finished the note in a hurry, before placing a magnet over it on the fridge. He was all ready for school, although he was extremely tired. Placing his house key in the breast pocket of his shirt, he buttoned up his blue uniform, pulling on his shoes. He found that he couldn't stop worrying. All night he was thinking of what could happen: if someone saw his fangs, or his ears, or if the sun came out, or if he fell asleep… 

Bakura had given him a blood bottle to take to school. The glass object was wrapped up and tucked in the corner of his school bag to drink during lunch. At least he didn't have to worry about a blood need during school…

He opened the front door, locked it, and ran off down the sidewalk.

By the time he reached his locker, he was already tired. The affects of staying up the entire night and trying to stay up during the day, when he got his sleep, was already starting. Blinking heavily he dragged out his books and stuffed some in, before hazily shutting his locker door.

"Ryou! You're back!" Malik was standing beside him, smiling.

"Yeah…" Ryou said, rubbing at his eye with his fist. His other one was tucked in his pocket to avoid Malik from seeing his dagger-like claws.

"You look tired…were you up a long time last night, too?"

"Pretty much…" Ryou said, managing to contain a yawn.

"Oh…" The bell rang. "Oh, come on. We're going to be late!"

Malik led the way to their classroom. However, when Ryou came inside, all heads turned towards the doorway, silence falling.

Ryou felt heat rise into his normally pale face as he sat down beside Malik, putting his books down on his desk. Luckily the room was dim, the clouds outside blocking the sun.

Ryou put his head down. _It's going to be a long day…_ He was so tired…

* * *

Ryou was breathing deeply, his head down on the lunch table, fast asleep. He was alone. 

Malik came out of the line, carrying his tray, and sat down across from Ryou. "Hey, Ryou. Ryou!"

Ryou's eyes flashed open, and he sat bolt upright. "H-Huh?"

"…You fell asleep _again?" _Malik sighed. "You need to get some sleep."

"I know…" Ryou said, and extracted his blood bottle from his pocket. Setting it down on the table he started working on the cap.

"…What is that?" Malik asked, frowning at the red substance. "That's your lunch?"

"Pretty much. I'm…on a diet." Ryou lied, not meeting Malik's gaze. "It's just this drink I have to take every day."

Malik shook his head. "You're so thin already, I don't see why you need a diet, Ryou."

Ryou didn't answer, and just sipped at his 'drink'. He couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the taste. Apparently Bakura got him another blood type he hated…

His head was beginning to throb. But Ryou didn't know why. It confused him, but the pain was growing.

"Ryou? Are…you okay? You're getting…paler…"

"…J…Just a headache." Ryou said, abruptly finishing his bottle of blood. He looked up, seeing through the windows in the ceiling that the clouds were fading. _No… Please, no…_

It was getting brighter. Ryou noticed that the more the sunlight strengthened, the more his head was beginning to throb.

Ryou stood up with a clatter, panting. "S-Sorry Malik. I'll…be back in a few minutes."

Ryou didn't wait for Malik to ask. He ran from the table and out of the cafeteria, and down the hallway. He swallowed. The sunlight was flooding in through the windows since the clouds had vanished.

He had no choice.

Ryou charged down the hallway in the direction of the bathroom. However, sunlight blocked his path. Ryou stopped, and reached his revealed hand into the light. He let out a muffled cry of pain and quickly pulled his hand out of the light. Examining his hand, he found a burn covering his entire hand from where the sunlight struck.

Ryou managed to go down a different hallway and ran into the boys' bathroom. Luckily there were no windows, and luckier, the bathroom was empty.

Panting, Ryou had to lean against the wall for support. His vision was smudging. His burn hurt so badly, and the pain in his temples was growing. _It…can't be from blood…I just had one of the bottles…_

_Then what's going on…?_

Ryou staggered over to the sink, starting the water, splashing some on his abnormally hot face and over his burn. It didn't help much.

Ryou slid to the floor. _M…Maybe I should see the nurse…or…call Bakura…_

He favored the idea of calling Bakura much more. He knew, however, that Bakura would be angry that he went to school, and even more aggravated that he had problems that he predicted in the first place.

He could already imagine the reaction Bakura would have…

Ryou managed to stagger to his feet. He headed in the direction on the exit, but froze. There was sunlight right outside the door. He was trapped.

Suddenly he heard footsteps.

_No…please, no… Don't make him come, not now…_

But Ryou's hopes plummeted. Malik was in the doorway. "Oh, there you are… I just wanted to see if you were okay… You got really pale, and the way you ran out like that…"

Ryou could see the concern and confusion in Malik's lavender eyes, but he said nothing.

"…Ryou?" He could barely see… "Ryou, come on."

Ryou made a low sound as Malik grabbed his arm. Even Malik's gentle grip made him near scream in agony. Ryou near whimpered as Malik pulled him towards the door. "M-Malik…"

Too late…

Malik had gone into the light, pulling half of Ryou with him. Ryou screamed at the top of his lungs. Burns instantly took form on the sun-struck side of his neck and the rest of his revealed arm. Malik quickly let go.

Ryou staggered backwards, back into the slight darkness of the boys' bathroom, before he collided with the wall. He slumped against the wall before he crumpled, collapsing onto the floor.

He heard Malik scream for help before the whole world went pitch black. He fainted.

* * *

Bakura opened his eyes as the phone in his bedroom rang loudly. He groaned, and rolled over. He picked up the phone before turning it on, and asked hazily, "Hello…?" 

"Hi. I take it that you're Ryou Bakura's guardian…?"

"Yes. Why?" Bakura asked, sitting upright.

"This is the nurse. A classmate went to find Ryou after he ran out of the cafeteria. He told me he was acting a little…strange. When he started to lead Ryou out, for some reason, he started screaming, collapsed, and passed out."

Bakura's eyes widened, a small hint of panic in his voice. "I-Is he okay? Where is he?"

"He's in my office right now. He's still unconscious… If you wish you can come down here and take him home."

"I'm on my way." Bakura hung up, hurriedly changing clothes. He swore under his breath when he noticed the sun was shimmering full blast outside.

He charged downstairs, trying to flatten his wild hair on the way. Marik was sleeping on the couch. Bakura flung open the front door and ran outside.

-

Malik bit his lip. It was so weird… The first day Ryou returned and he passed out… He had noticed the burns. They weren't there this morning…were they?

Suddenly the door flung open. A man at least a foot and a half taller than him ran inside, looking eerily similar to Ryou.

"Ryou!" Bakura hurried over to bed, swearing under his breath. Ryou was terribly pale, burns on his right arm, hand, and the right side of his neck.

He scooped Ryou up in his arms with ease. His mind played tricks, making him see Ryou as a child, asleep and sick, in his arms.

"You're Mr. Bakura…?"

"Yes." Bakura said, taking it that she was just using Ryou's last name, and not his first one, and faced the nurse.

"Well…do you mind me asking you some questions?"

"No." Bakura said, still holding onto Ryou.

"Did you know that Ryou was dieting?" Bakura hesitated, before nodding. Apparently it was Ryou's excuse for not eating. "Does he have any serious medical conditions?"

"…He's…sometimes low on blood." Bakura said, watching the nurse scribble something down on a clipboard. "He…suffers from migraines, sometimes, and gets a sensitivity to light."

"…I see… Has Ryou ever collapsed like this before?"

"Yes. More than once… Usually it's from when his blood gets low."

Were they lies or partial truth? Bakura gritted his teeth together, hoping they hadn't seen Ryou's fangs or pointed ears.

"…All right, Mr. Bakura. You can take him home if you want. I suggest that he gets lots of rest."

Bakura just nodded, and headed for the door.

Malik blinked in confusion. _Ryou never told me about any of that stuff… Maybe he wants to keep it a secret…? Hey, wait. Was…that Bakura?_

Bakura growled as he headed outside, prying off his trench coat, and draped it over Ryou's body to protect him from the sun. "You _baka_ Ryou… You're lucky things weren't worse than that…"

Bakura winced as he sprinted down the sidewalk. The sunlight burned his revealed skin, but luckily, an occasional tree provided him shade.

He arrived home quickly, and shut the door. The curtains were all pulled shut, and Marik was still sleeping. Bakura carried Ryou upstairs, and into the bathroom, laying him down on the mat.

He pulled out a salve for the burns, and scrubbed some on Ryou's. He didn't bother putting any on his own. He had tried before, but nothing happened. His vampire image was too strong.

He fished out the thermometer, and forced it into Ryou's mouth. He sat there for a second or two, before it beeped. He frowned. Ryou had a fever. A very _high_ fever at that…

"You should've listened, Ryou." Bakura said with a sigh, and hauled Ryou up again, heading towards the boy's bedroom. "You really screwed up by going to school today. You just got lucky things weren't worse…"

He laid Ryou down on his bed.

"I told you…you shouldn't be trying to go to school. You just need to stay home…"

* * *

Chapter 8: End. 


	9. Chapter 9

_Unh… W…What happened…? Where…am I…?_

Ryou weakly opened his eyes. He was exhausted… He turned his head to find the curtains of his bedroom wide open, to find it pitch black outside. Ryou found that he couldn't move, as if he was paralyzed.

"So. You're awake."

Ryou glanced at the door of his bedroom, to find Bakura standing there, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. Ryou swallowed thickly around the fear forming inside of him and looked away.

"…I hope you know I'm _very _disappointed in you, Ryou." Bakura walked into the room, and over to the boy's bed. He just stood there, looking down at Ryou's form. "I _told _you before: you don't need to be going to school."

Ryou didn't say anything.

"Now that Malik kid knows there's something wrong with you. Things are only going to get worse and worse from here. He's going to ask you questions, and when you don't show up for school, he's going to call. Sooner or later your secret will get out, Ryou. You're lucky he didn't find out when you went to school! Drinking your blood in front of him…screaming when he pulled you into the light…your burns… And when you passed out, you're lucky no one saw your fangs or ears!" Bakura's voice was raised to a scream, seeing Ryou visibly flinch. "You were putting it all on the line by going to that place!"

"…I…I didn't…" Ryou felt tears burn in his eyes, and he swallowed, struggling to hold them back. "…W…What's…wrong with me?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

Bakura huffed, and turned away. He changed into a bat, and flapped his small, black wings, and perched himself on the very top of Ryou's dresser which was only inches below the ceiling, not looking at him.

Ryou felt the tears come back. Bakura very rarely morphed into a bat: only when he was _very_ angry or trying to get away._ Is he that mad at me…?_

Bakura sat there as a bat, his wings folded, and began to hear Ryou cry. He looked at Ryou, who was now lying on his side, clutching his pillow and crying.

_Maybe I should just pretend to go to school tomorrow morning and never come back… It's not like anyone will miss me… Bakura's been with Marik… _His grip tightened on the pillow, his long claws pricking the fabric. _He's not even trying to help me… He's mad at me… He doesn't understand… He just acts like school is no big deal…_

Ryou didn't hear Bakura flap his wings, and fly across the room, perching himself on the foot of the bed.

…_I may as well just disappear…he'd be better off that way… He wouldn't have to worry or take care of me anymore… It's just like Marik said… I'm stupid and I can't do anything without Bakura's help…_

Ryou froze as something touched him. He lifted his gaze to find Bakura standing there, one pale, clawed hand resting on his shoulder. Ryou looked away, "Just…leave me alone… I can tell you don't want to talk to me…"

Bakura removed his hand, and Ryou inched away slightly, continuing to sob into his pillow. Bakura sighed soundlessly and left the room.

* * *

Ryou was outside, deep within the woods. He had snuck out of the house while Bakura and Marik were still sleeping, early that morning. Luckily it was cloudy that morning, and even if the clouds went away, the trees would shield him from the sun…

He was so tired. He knew the way back home, but he didn't want to go back yet, and listen to Bakura and Marik… All day he had been practicing, trying his hardest to change into a bat. He didn't have much luck, however. He had also been testing his abilities: his hearing, his strength, and so on.

He was sitting in the grass, resting against a tree, panting. _I never knew it was so hard… Maybe it isn't my time yet… Maybe morphing comes later…_

His stomach growled. Ryou groaned. He hadn't eaten since that day he fainted at school… Now he didn't even remember how long ago that was… _It was only a day or two ago, right…?_

He got to his feet, and stared at the tree for a second. The bark had deep slices cutting through. Ryou glanced down at his hands, remembering how amazed he was when he first sliced his claws into the bark. _…If I could do that to a tree… I could probably kill someone with my powers… I just have to remember to be careful._

His stomach growled again. Ryou grumbled quietly, glancing in the direction of his home, and reluctantly made his way towards it. _Next time I'm going to town by myself to find food._

He made his way back to the house, and stepped onto the porch. He opened the door, and flinched, meeting a _very_ angry looking Bakura, who was towering over him with his arms folded, his eyes narrowed to near slits.

Ryou gasped and whimpered as Bakura seized him by the wrist and dragged him into the house, slamming the door. Bakura dragged Ryou into the living room, which was surprisingly empty. "Where have you been?!" Bakura screamed, making Ryou flinch. "Do you have any _idea_ how _worried_ I've been?!"

Something inside of Ryou tightened so much it nearly snapped. He kept silent.

"Tell me!" Bakura screamed, not in the mood for Ryou's games_. "Ryou. Answer _me when I'm _talking _to you!"

That something, whatever it was, finally broke. Ryou growled low in his throat, and yanked his arm, making Bakura's claws slide through his skin, but he didn't care. At least he wasn't holding onto him anymore. "Quit pretending that you care about me. You'd rather be around Marik, and you know it. And Marik was right. I'm too stupid to understand and take care of my vampire image." Ryou growled the words, as if daring Bakura to try to touch him again.

"That isn't true."

"Yes it is. You probably think I'm a burden, not that I blame you. I probably am." Ryou turned slightly, looking out of the window. "You've had to take care of me since I was five. Maybe eleven years of that is more than enough. Maybe I should just leave so you won't have to listen to me anymore. You'll probably be nice and happy then, won't you? And maybe then Marik can move back in and you guys can do whatever-" Ryou was cut short.

With a snarl Bakura lunged out, slapping Ryou across the face, sending the teenager collapsing to the floor on his rear. Ryou's bangs hid his eyes from sight, a harsh, red mark splattered across his cheek. Ryou didn't move.

"Well, well. Arguing again, are we?" Marik asked, standing in the doorway.

"Shut up. This is none of your business." Bakura snarled, his fangs showing.

"Or is it?" Marik asked, walking into the room and over to Ryou, turning to face Bakura. "You know… Most of this is _your_ fault, Bakura. Maybe the little one needs something to take out his stress…"

"You're not drinking his blood." Bakura growled.

"I'm not saying that… I'm saying perhaps he needs to get away for a while…or perhaps…start going on his own hunts…"

Ryou's stomach growled again, making the boy twitch. Unfortunately Marik and Bakura's vampire images made their hearing stronger, so both heard. Marik smirked. "See?"

"He doesn't need to be going anywhere. With him trying to go to school it's a hassle as it is."

"Then maybe he can start his little journey at home…" Marik whispered, his smirk widening as he noticed Ryou shudder.

"You mean…him bite one of us?" Bakura asked. "On a regular basis…?"

"Well if you're not going to let him outside, then it's your only option. Blood bottles won't be near enough. You said it yourself…they should be used sparingly. A person is healthier…"

Both boys looked at Ryou, who was trembling. Bakura raised a snowy eyebrow. "…Ryou?"

Ryou's hands clenched up into tight fists. All the talk of blood… His breathing was increasing, and he arched his back.

Bakura's eyes widened slightly as Ryou growled loudly. He could hear Ryou's breathing getting faster, and his right hand was clutching the area around his heart. "…R…Ryou…?"

Bakura gasped as Ryou leapt to his feet, lunging at him. Bakura leapt back on instinct, his eyes wide with shock. Ryou's eyes were almost black, his fangs bared, his shoulders drawn. Bakura swore lowly. He started to change into a bat, but Ryou lunged out, grabbing his wing with a clawed hand. Bakura quickly changed back, his right arm slightly bleeding from Ryou's attack.

Ryou snarled, and lunged, grabbing both of Bakura's wrists. Bakura's eyes grew wide as Ryou shoved him backwards, slamming Bakura into the wall with incredible force. Ryou opened his mouth, his white fangs shimmering, and before Bakura had a chance to fight back, he leaned in, roughly injecting his fangs into the man's neck.

Bakura froze. He didn't comprehend what happened first thing. Then his brain suddenly registered what was happening. _Ryou…is feasting on my blood…?_

Marik just stood there, watching Ryou feed in satisfaction. _Your senses are evolving, Ryou. Just wait… Things will pick up speed before you know it…_

Ryou's hands were wrapped about Bakura's shirt collar, pushing him against the wall, his fangs buried deep into Bakura's neck. He roughly bit harder, Bakura's warm, life substance flowing out.

…He hadn't tasted any samples like Bakura's blood…

Ryou's hands released Bakura slowly. Bakura's blood… It was warm…slightly bitter…and slightly sweet. It tasted…so different than those blood bottle samples…

Ryou slowly removed his fangs, and just stood there for a few seconds. Suddenly he realized he had just fed on Bakura, and quickly moved back. Blood ran down his cheek, covering his lips and flowing down his chin, dripping onto his shirt. Bakura was leaning against the wall, Ryou's fang marks deep and blood continued to ooze out of the holes. He clasped a hand over his marks, and straightened. Without another word he walked away and up the stairs.

Ryou looked down at his hands, which were slightly dotted with blood as well. _I…I didn't… Did I…?_

Ryou sat down on the couch, and cried. _Now he really does hate me…_

Marik just grinned. "Well done, Ryou. It seems you're finally feeding."

Ryou nearly whimpered at the word. It was bad enough he had lost it and fed…but he fed on Bakura… "Why did I have to do that…?"

"Apparently your senses are evolving. They may not create a normal structure. All vampires have different structures. For example…how often you must feed, how often a rampage comes along, you ability to morph, ability to heal from burns, and so on."

"Burns…" Ryou whispered. He looked at his hand. The burn was gone. He looked up at Marik. "Does Bakura still have his burns?"

"Yep. They'll go away eventually, though. But, his structure is different from the one you currently have. You're senses are just now stretching their wings. Bakura's been a vampire for many, many years. Your ability to heal from burns changes over the years. Most vampires don't heal so easily. You, on the other hand, currently do, because you're younger in the vampire stage. Bakura, and me, would probably have to go sleep in a coffin for the night to get rid of them as fast as you do. Otherwise we just stay in the darkness for a while and they'll go away in about…five days."

Ryou was silent. _Marik…is so much more straightforward… How come Bakura didn't tell me any of that…? _"Marik…you know about what happened to me at school, right…?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"…Do you have any idea what may have happened to me? Bakura won't tell me anything about it…"

"What were your symptoms?"

"…The sun was coming out and my head began to hurt. Not like a minor headache, but more like a migraine… I drank my blood bottle, but…" Ryou shook his head. "I don't know. The room was spinning, and I was starting to feel like I couldn't breathe. Then Malik showed up…pulled me into the light… And from what I remember…I screamed and fell back… And then I think I passed out."

"…Then I was right. Your structure _is _changing." He sighed. "Well, when Bakura carried you home, he said you had a really high fever. So I guess things are just getting to you because your structure is changing, and you aren't used to it."

Ryou didn't answer, not sure of what to say. He opened his mouth to say something, but Marik was gone.

Ryou sighed, his legs up to his chest, and sniffled, struggling to hold back sudden tears.

* * *

Chapter 9: End.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey, sorry this story hasn't been updated in a while. Well, I'm glad you guys were patient. XD Hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Ryou didn't get any sleep that morning. Even when dusk came around, he was still awake, unable to sleep, and crying weakly once more into his pillow. He just felt horrible…

His door was locked to keep Bakura and Marik out. He knew they could easily get inside, but he hoped that deep down, if they found the door locked, they would just go away…

Ryou buried his face deep into his pillow and groaned. His eyes hurt from crying. Whenever he thought about the situation, it only made him feel worse and he started crying all over again.

There was a knock on the door. "Ryou, come on." Bakura's voice was strangely gruff and cold. "Marik and I are leaving for dinner."

"Just leave without me. I'm not hungry anyway." Ryou whispered, pulling the sheets higher. It was true. Ever since his incident last night with drinking Bakura's blood, he felt like not doing anything or even talking about blood, let alone drinking it.

"Ryou, don't start this again with me. The whole reason you fed on me last night was because you didn't eat in two days. Now if you're going to starve yourself, you're only going to go on another rampage, and this one may be even worse."

"I don't care." Ryou said emotionlessly.

Bakura and Marik were in the hallway. Bakura growled in frustration. He _definitely_ wasn't in the mood for Ryou's games. "Fine! Just stay in that room and rot! It's not hurting me any!" Bakura turned from the door and began raging down the stairs.

Ryou just cried into the pillow.

* * *

The two older vampires didn't return home until far past midnight, and were asleep in the living room, Marik on the sofa and Bakura sprawled on the floor. Ryou found them there when he came downstairs to get some water, being terribly thirsty from crying. It was pitch black outside.

His stomach suddenly growled. Ryou moaned silently, wrapping an arm about his abdomen. He _really _didn't want to drink any more blood…but…

He glanced towards the living room, remembering. _I fed off of him because I didn't eat… If I do it again…will…I get like that again…?_

Ryou stood there for a few minutes, before grabbing the notepad, and wrote a fast note. _'Went to main district. –Ryou.'_

Ryou put the note where he knew Bakura would find it, and slipped on his coat and shoes. He glanced once more towards the living room, seeing Bakura sleeping soundly on the floor, the blanket pulled over him, before silently slipping outside.

Bakura's ears twitched beneath his mess of white hair as the door clicked shut. The sound of the rain raged, and Bakura slowly opened his eyes.

Ryou hurried towards the main branch of town, pulling his now soaked jacket around him. Lightning flashed and thunder raged, rain cascading down his face…

He stopped, his ears twitching, as he heard a patter of footsteps. He hurried down the street, but they merely followed him. He finally slowed entirely, leaning against the brick wall. "W-Who's there?!" He nearly screeched into the darkness.

He heard a sound that seemed to be a suppressed giggle. Suddenly Ryou felt warmth on the back of his neck as the follower began to breathe on him. Ryou swung out with a cry, hoping his claws would connect. However, a grip appeared on his arm, squeezing tight.

"L-Let me go!" Ryou screamed, tears in his eyes. He pulled backwards. The grip suddenly faded; Ryou was sent tumbling backwards, in the direction of the alley. he crashed into the load of boxes, a sharp strand of metal slicing open his arm. He whimpered, red rubies of blood soaking his sleeve.

Ryou looked up as the lightning flashed. It was a person: a vampire. His clothes were tattered and ripped, blood red eyes, sharp, bloody fangs protruding from his stained lips, a mess of black hair that didn't hide his pointed ears, yet covered his face… A psychotic smile on his lips… "…Your…blood…"

Ryou gasped as the man leapt onto him, pinning him down. "It…smells…delicious…"

Ryou fought weakly, but to no avail.

"…You're…a vampire…yet…your blood…smells so deliciously different than the rest…" The man whispered, leaning closer and closer until Ryou could smell the scent of blood… "…Just…a little taste…"

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut, tears cascading down his face. The man pricked his neck with his claws, fresh drops of blood trickling down his neck… "D-Don't…"

Ryou whimpered softly. The man licked his neck, drinking in the ribbons of crimson. "…Such a sweet one…"

Ryou cried out in pain and fear as the man grabbed him by his hair, forcing his head up. He whimpered fearfully as the man licked his bloodied lips, and opened his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs.

The next thing he knew the canines were going into his throat.

-

Bakura cradled his head in his hands, and he groaned. "Why do we even do that anymore? I always get a headache…"

"Just live a little." Marik said, the two sitting on the couch, no longer able to sleep because of their body clocks and because the storm.

"…I need an aspirin." Bakura muttered, before getting to his feet. Despite that the pills rarely took away his headaches from blood overdoses, he took them anyway. Walking into the kitchen he rummaged through the medicine cabinet, pulled out a small bottle, and noticed Ryou's note. He frowned, taking it into his hand to read it.

Bakura's eyes widened as he darted into the living room, putting on his coat. "I've got to go!" He screamed as he ran out the door, not giving Marik a chance to ask what was happening.

* * *

Ryou cried with pain as the vampire slammed him backwards further, rough pieces of scrap such as metal and wire cutting his skin. The vampire was nearly purring at Ryou's pain and the sweet scent of his blood.

"L-Leave me alone!" Ryou screeched desperately, slamming his eyes shut. "Leave me alone!"

Ryou sobbed, feeling the man lick his neck again, drinking in the warm ribbons of crimson. "…So sweet…"

Ryou kept crying, his tears colliding with the raindrops on his face, the droplets cascading down his pale skin. _Bakura…_

Ryou screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping, just wishing, that someone would actually hear him… He slapped at the man's face, managing to hit him before he bit his neck once more… He rolled onto his stomach, crying, and tried to get up and run, but the vampire merely grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed him down. Ryou gasped and whimpered as sharp pieces of scrap stabbed into his chest and stomach.

_H-Help me…someone… Please…_

-

Bakura growled to himself, flapping his small wings as he flew through the air. He was currently in his bat form, red eyes scanning through the murky surroundings in search.

Suddenly he heard it. A scream.

He maneuvered himself, following the noises. As he flew between the buildings, he began to hear screams and sobs, and twisted whispers. Bakura felt the slightest shiver flow down his spine. He recognized it. He only felt like this around other vampires…

Flying through the alley, he perched himself on top of the closed dumpster, watching. He could see a sturdy man standing not too far away, looming over some boxes. He could tell he was a vampire, for his eyes and teeth and lips were red. He could see something else thrashing through the boxes, straining to get away. And then it screamed, followed by sobs. _Ryou…?_

Bakura silently changed back into his normal form, and got to his feet. He ran forward and lunged, grabbing the vampire by his neck in a flash. He squeezed harshly, not letting an inch, before looking into the boxes. A small gasp passed his lips.

Ryou was lying in the boxes, battered, bruised, and bloody. His eye was blackened and he was covered with his own blood, at least four different bite marks on his neck and his skin torn from the man's claws. He was unconscious, his pale face streaked with tears.

"How _dare_ you." Bakura growled dangerous, grip tightening.

The vampire nearly squealed, unable to suppress the giggling sound. "…Another vampire…"

Bakura snarled as he realized it. "You're nothing! You're merely coated in darkness, wanting nothing but blood… A horrible addiction… You drink it so much you are stained, and can't remove the blood from your skin anymore…"

The man didn't seem to hear, or listen, for he jerked forward, biting Bakura in the arm. Bakura swore, big rubies of blood swelling and falling from his skin.

It erupted into a violent fight.

Bakura dodged and leapt, growling, his eyes glowing with anger. He felt himself shaking more in rage, watching the psychotic smile dance onto the insane vampire's face, revealing bloody fangs. Without a word, Bakura swept outward, his razor sharp, severely long claws slicing deep into the chest of the vampire, drawing tons of blood on contact…

He watched him stagger, before kicking him harshly in the ribs. Prying a stick of metal from the boxes, he swung, hitting him full force. The vampire fell to the ground, blood spewing from his nose and cut skin.

Bakura turned, dropping the stick of metal. He gingerly picked up Ryou, the boy erupting into whimpers. He silently put him on his back and headed out of the back alley.

The storm was becoming worse, rain gurgling down the sidewalks and into the sewers and soaking everything in sight. Bakura grunted with annoyance, blood dripping from Ryou to the water, tinting it just ever so slightly pink.

Bakura trudged down the sidewalk, heading back towards home.

He was quiet for a while, before he spoke to the unconscious Ryou, who was almost like a paperweight on his back. "You're such a baka, Ryou. Don't you know when to quit? Now you're just trying to disobey me… Going to school, running off on your own… And it seems that every time you get in trouble in one way or another…"

Bakura leapt up, grabbing the top of the fence that separated their abode from the rest of the world. He easily pulled himself up and over the wooden fence, and jumped quietly to the ground. He headed inside.

Marik must've been in the bathroom, for he was not in the living room. Bakura sighed and headed up the stairs.

He went into his room and closed the door, laying Ryou on the floor. Silently, he wrapped Ryou's wounds in bandages and covered the puncture marks from the fangs on his neck with band-aids. Sighing deeply, Bakura took Ryou up, and carried him to his own room, setting him on the bed.

Bakura went back into his own room, closed the door, and quietly turned on the radio, before collapsing onto his bed, and shut his eyes, trying his best to relax.

* * *

Chapter 10: End.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

_Insane, blood red eyes boring into his figure… Able to see those horribly long fangs as he opened his mouth… Stained with blood…_

"Ryou… Ryou, wake up…"

_An extreme blood fetish… Just a little taste…_

"Ryou!"

_Running, struggling, yet to avail… Face first onto the ground, claws digging in, forcing his canines closer and closer… And began to pierce the skin…_

"_Ryou_!"

Ryou's eyes shot open, and gasping, he sat bolt upright. He noticed that he was clutching the sheets on his bed, and looked around. Bakura was sitting calmly in the chair at his desk, watching him. Ryou felt his heart race.

"…You went out by yourself…and now look what happened." Bakura said simply, his eyes unblinking. "Look at your condition, Ryou…"

Ryou swallowed, rubbing nervously at his bandaged arm. His arms were bandaged, along with his chest, and as he ran a hand over his neck, he felt bandages there too. He noticed he couldn't see out of his left eye, apparently from the fighting, when the man punched him…

"You're a mess." Bakura said, emotionless.

Ryou didn't answer.

"Maybe you should learn to listen." Bakura said simply, shifting his gaze to the window. The curtains were still wide open. But despite it, it was dark, for thunder was crashing, accompanied by lightning, occasionally lighting up the entire sky. Ryou jumped slightly as a loud crash of thunder came suddenly, but Bakura was motionless. He didn't move or even blink; he just stared out the window.

Suddenly the door opened. Marik entered, walking up beside Bakura. "Hey. Are you ready to go or not?"

"Yeah. Now that Ryou's up, anyway." Bakura stood, trench coat moving about his long legs. "We're heading out for a party tonight, Ryou. If I find out you disobeyed me in any way, you'll regret it. I'm tired of cleaning up after your messes." Bakura walked towards the door and left the room without another word.

Marik glanced in Ryou's direction. The albino was staring at the sheets on the bed through his good eye, his other swollen and blackened. Bandages were all over him. Marik took two silent steps up the bed, grabbing Ryou by a lock of his hair and tilted up his head. Ryou looked like he was going to cry, and gasped slightly.

"…Just listen to him, kid. It'll help your situation a bit," Marik said as he let go of Ryou's hair.

Ryou watched him leave the room, and then he heard the front door slam shut. He was alone.

Ryou buried his face in his hands and cried. He couldn't hold it in any longer. It wasn't like he was doing it all on purpose… _What does he know? Bakura didn't go to school like me. He didn't have people all around him like me. Everything that happened with him is the opposite…_

The phone suddenly jolted him out of his thoughts. He quickly wiped away the remainder of his tears, managing to clear his throat. He picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Ryou? Hey, it's Malik."

"…Oh… Hey." Ryou said quietly.

"You don't sound so good. You okay?" There was silence. "Ryou?"

"…Huh? Oh, yeah. I… I'm fine."

"Well… Um… I have your assignments from school… Is it okay if I come by to drop them off?"

"W-Well, I kind of-" Ryou stopped. _I'm home alone. Bakura will never find out… Malik will just come by real fast and then he'll leave… And I won't be behind in school as much… _"…Yeah. You can come."

"All right. I know where your house is, but… What about that big fence?"

"You'll have to climb it. There's no way to open it up, sorry." Ryou felt the slightest smile on his lips.

"Humph, maybe I should've listened when the others said I should work out more." Malik laughed a bit. "Okay, I'll see you in a few."

He heard Malik hang up. Ryou set the receiver back in its cradle. He bit hi slip slightly, remembering not to bite too hard or he'd wind up drawing blood from his sharp canines. For some reason, he was nervous. _It's only Malik…_

But then he remembered. That day at school…where everything was almost blown…

He bit his lip a little harder. No. Things would be different. They'd be normal…

Ryou sat up and got out of bed, and started down the stairs. At least Malik wouldn't have to wait long after he managed to climb the fence…

* * *

Ryou was already opening the door when Malik came sprinting up the driveway, panting. He smiled.

Ryou let him in. Malik was dripping with rainwater from the storm outside. "Here, give me your jacket."

Malik handed it over, and Ryou retreated to hang it up. Malik pried off his shoes and was looking around. "Wow, Ryou. I didn't know this is what you meant… It's a nice place. Bigger than my house anyway…"

Ryou smiled just slightly, careful not to show his fangs. Malik had never been over before, mainly because of Bakura living in the same house…

Ryou swallowed thickly at the fear of Bakura randomly charging in the door and catching Malik inside. He tried to shake away those thoughts, and led Malik into the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?" Ryou asked, opening the door to the refrigerator, which was still full. Since no one ate regular food anymore, it would probably just sit around until it would rot…

"Nah. That's okay."

Ryou shrugged and shut the fridge door. With the little amount of supplies he had grabbed for his work from his room, he sat down at the table across from Malik. They began to talk, mostly about the schoolwork.

Malik looked up as Ryou scribbled some work down. He was currently trying to teach Ryou what he had missed in his lessons, and apparently, Ryou was deep in thought, because he didn't notice Malik watching him.

Malik winced ever so slightly at Ryou's condition. Bandages were all over his pale skin, his eye was blackened and swollen… Malik swallowed and decided to head into deep water by asking. "Ryou?"

"Hmm?" The boy asked, not looking up.

"…What happened to you?"

The writing stopped. Ryou froze entirely. His brain stopped working, his eyes suddenly became unfocused… He had forgotten.

"…N-Nothing. It's nothing, Malik."

"Ryou, you have a black eye! How is that nothing?!"

Ryou's eyes widened as Malik was suddenly beside him. "And the bandages? Those aren't anything, either? Ryou, please, quit hiding things from me! I thought you said I was your friend, but you can't talk to me?!"

"It… It was just a little fight…" Ryou whispered, sounding more like the wind. Suddenly he felt close to tears. He felt betrayed, misunderstood… He couldn't always tell everything, could he?

Ryou roughly scooted back, his chair scraping across the floor. Without another word, he ran towards the stairs. Malik instantly ran after him.

Ryou darted up, panting slightly. His entire vision wobbled in and out of focus from only having one eye. Suddenly he felt a grip on his arms.

Malik held onto him, causing them both to stop. "Ryou. Ryou, _please._" Malik's lavender eyes were nearly pleading. "Something's wrong with you, I just know it. Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because you wouldn't understand!" Ryou suddenly screamed, and jerked his arm free. Before he realized what he was doing, he pushed Malik, sending the boy tumbling backwards on the stairs.

Ryou was about to run, not comprehending what just happened, at least until he heard a strangled cry from beneath him. He turned, seeing Malik about six steps down. He held his head in his hands, his legs sprawled away from him. He was shaking.

"M-Malik? Malik, are you all right?" Ryou asked, shakily descending a few steps.

Malik lowered his hands. A curved ribbon of blood cascaded down the boy's tanned forehead.

Ryou hurried towards him. "M-Malik! I-I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to- I mean- … Malik, I'm sorry…"

Ryou was beside him, the world seeming to be in slow motion. He stared at the blood on Malik's face, flowing from a gash on his forehead, beneath his sandy blonde bangs, now tainted with blood.

"I-I'll go get some bandages-"

"I'll be okay…" Malik muttered, trying to stand up.

"B-But you're bleeding!" Ryou rushed up the stairs and came back in near milliseconds with a roll of bandages. He forced Malik back, slowly wrapping the white strip around his forehead. Malik fought at first but eventually settled down.

After it was over they merely sat on the stairs in silence.

"…I'm so sorry, Malik…" Ryou said softly.

"…I shouldn't have done what I did. It wasn't my business to start with-" Malik stopped as Ryou suddenly gasped. He glanced at the boy, seeing Ryou's eyes wider than he had ever seen them, and they looked blank. "Ryou?"

He could smell it… He could still smell Malik's blood… Ryou felt his hands curl into fists. At first he didn't notice it… But now… He could feel his pulse increasing so much it hurt… He noticed he was panting… _No, not now… Please, not now…_

He tried to stand up, in a desperate attempt to find a blood bottle. He couldn't feed on Malik… He couldn't… He looked at Malik, who was staring with wide lavender eyes. "M… Ma…lik…"

Malik inched away as Ryou came closer. His friend's eyes had…changed. They were darker, narrowed… "Ryou?!"

The albino lunged at him, grabbed his shirt collar. Malik let out a shocked sound, and swung at Ryou, hitting him square in the head. Ryou inched back, shocked, and hissed ever so slightly. "What's _up _with you?!" Malik screamed.

The bandages came loose. They fell to the stairs. Every single one of them.

Malik's eyes grew to the size of saucers. There were cuts on Ryou's skin, some scarring up. Puncture marks… And on his neck were covered with what looked like bites from a spider… But that was impossible. They were far too large… _Vampire…bite marks…?_

"R-Ryou…?" Malik felt his back hit the stair rail. "Y-You're…"

Ryou grabbed Malik's shirt, slamming him forcefully into the railing. Malik stared with wide eyes, unable to look away. _Were his nails always so sharp…?_

Ryou's lips curved into the slightest grin, exposing long, sharp canines.

Malik's heart began to pound in his chest. He struggled, trying to push Ryou away, but he couldn't.

Ryou grabbed a handful of the boy's hair, and roughly injected his fangs into his neck.

Malik felt the world fade away.

Slowly, Ryou released his hold. He removed his canines from Malik's tan neck, and the now unconscious teen slid onto his side on the staircase.

The world seemed to be spinning.

Ryou wiped Malik's blood away from his lips the best he could with his jacket sleeve, staring at his classmate with uncertainty.

Then it struck him.

Malik knew his secret. Malik had witnessed his feeding. Malik knew _everything…_

Ryou felt his hands unconsciously go to his mouth. He felt uneasy, almost sick… _It's all my fault… If I hadn't have freaked out and pushed him…_

…_My secret would still be a secret…_

He didn't know what to do. Everything felt like it was moving too fast… He felt greatly sick now, fearful, and exhausted…

_What should I do…?_

But he didn't have to think about that. Because just then he heard the door slam shut, and recognized Marik and Bakura's heavy footsteps in the next room.

"Ryou? Are you up yet?" Bakura gruffly called out, and Ryou was frozen, seeing his tall, lean figure walk into the kitchen, boots echoing on the tiled floor.

He couldn't move.

With Malik still on the stairs, two bloody holes on his neck, Ryou just sat there. He couldn't move, he felt like he couldn't breathe… He heard Bakura talking to Marik, and then he vanished from the kitchen.

He could hear his footsteps.

His mind began to suddenly race. Ryou got up, on shaking legs, and could hear their voices coming closer, footsteps louder…

He took to the stairs, Malik in his possession. He ran to the bathroom with the bandages crumpled in one hand. He barely managed to set Malik down in the basic doorway of the closet, and pushed the door nearly shut, but left it open just barely. Malik couldn't be seen yet wasn't really in danger… At least, if he wasn't found…

Ryou staggered towards the sink to wash away the blood, but he never made it… His knees buckled, and he plummeted to the floor in unconsciousness.

* * *

Chapter 11: End.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ryou, get up already!" Bakura growled as he climbed the steps. "Ryou-" he stopped then. He could smell something… Blood.

He sniffed the air. It wasn't too strong, but he noticed it. It smelled different than any of the others… Sort of like Marik's, but sweeter in a twisted way…

He followed the scent, which eventually led him to the main bathroom. He took one step inside, his boots echoing on the tiled floor, and he stopped entirely at the sight.

Ryou was sprawled on the floor, his white hair flowing over one shoulder onto the floor, his head against the tile as well. He was obviously unconscious, but to why, was the base of Bakura's sudden puzzlement.

He took a few steps to Ryou's side, and brushed the remainder of his hair out of the way. Blood stained his lips and a small spot on his chin that appeared to have smeared. He sniffed. The scent of the blood laced Ryou notably.

He straightened up and sniffed the air again. It was stronger in the bathroom… Following the scent like a dog, it led him to the bathroom closet. Bakura raised one snowy eyebrow then, and opened the closet door.

He froze then, his crimson tinted eyes widening ever so slightly.

That boy was there. The one in the nurse's office… Ryou's friend: Malik.

Bakura swore to himself, and hauled the boy out of the closet, dropping him next to Ryou on the tiled floor, and then shutting the closet door. He sat down beside the two of them, examining them both with narrowed red eyes. He soon figured out a reasonable explanation, based on the bandage from the boy's forehead. _Apparently the kid fell or Ryou pushed him, so that could have activated Ryou's senses, which resulted in the feeding._

Ryou moaned then, before slowly opening his good eye. He gulped when his vision focused, finding Bakura looming right over him. "B-Bakura…"

"What. Did. You. Do?" Bakura asked in a dangerous voice. Ryou swallowed hard. Bakura hadn't ever sounded so angry before…

"I… I didn't…" Ryou whispered quietly, not knowing what to say.

"You brought that boy to this house without my permission, behind my back, and now after you bit him, he knows that you're a vampire! How can you be so _stupid_?!" Bakura screamed, and Ryou shrunk away from him in fear. Bakura hadn't yelled like this before… "Ra, Ryou! Do I have to start chaining your door shut?! Because it's obvious I can't trust you anymore! You just don't listen to what other people are telling you!"

"It's not like you listen to me, either!" Ryou suddenly screamed back, tears swelling in his eyes. "All you do is yell at me! It's not like I'm trying to screw everything up on purpose! It's hard enough being turned into a vampire, but now everything I do is turning out to be a mistake and I don't even have my freedom anymore… You act as if I need to be perfect, but I can't. I'm not like you. I didn't even want this to happen… And now I probably have to drop out of high school because of this, and I won't be able to even get a job, and-" Ryou was cut short as Bakura cupped a pale hand over his mouth, silencing him.

Bakura's shoulders slumped as Ryou jerked from his grasp, and averted his gaze, crystal tears beginning to trickle down his pale face. _He looks so lost…_

Bakura scooted closer a little, and Ryou inched back almost instantly. Bakura sighed and grabbed Ryou's shoulders in his hands, making the boy gasp. He froze, looking up to meet Bakura's gaze. The man stared long and hard at him before his shoulders sagged again as he sighed. "Ryou…" He shook his head before staring the boy in the eyes. "Ryou, I'm sorry… You're right. You're absolutely right."

Ryou froze, lifting his gaze again to stare into the man's eyes. He could see it. He could see regret. "…What?" he asked quietly, his voice wavering slightly as tears kept falling from his eyes.

"You heard me. I said I was sorry. I said you were right all this time. So quit acting like you didn't heard me." Bakura's grip slackened. He sighed, letting the boy go and turning his head away. "…Whatever. You're probably already beyond ticked off at me…"

Ryou swallowed. He didn't answer that, instead reaching out for Bakura's arm. The crying had stopped. "Bakura… Bakura, what's wrong?"

"Everything! Everything, okay?!" Bakura snapped, making Ryou flinch. He sighed even heavier, and Ryou watched his shoulders slump once again. "It's just… You know, everything has been falling apart since you became a vampire. Your life is getting screwed up, and so is mine, and now that kid is going to have messed up memories because of this," Bakura said, pointing to Malik, who was still sprawled on the bathroom floor.

"What do you mean? Your life is going okay, isn't it?"

Bakura shook his head, long, white strands of his hair falling into his face, which he brushed away with his fingertips. "I have to look after you, and now Marik is wanting to actually _live _here." He pulled his hand through his snow-white hair. "I know you don't want him around because you're scared of him, but…" Bakura shook his head. "I don't know. I think I've just been really stressed out and I guess I've been taking it out on you, which isn't the right thing for me to do… I'm sorry Ryou, I didn't have a right-"

"Bakura… It's okay… Calm down…" Ryou gently placed a hand upon his arm. "I was just upset… But I know what's going on now, so…" He smiled a little bit. "Why didn't you just tell me that instead of yelling at me so much?"

Bakura was silent.

They both looked up as they heard the door open, revealing Marik. "Who's bleeding in here? I can smell it all the way downstairs."

Bakura didn't answer. Ryou looked at the albino. He could sense the uneasiness. He knew that Bakura really didn't want to be around the blonde at the moment…

Marik noticed Malik's body then. "My, my. Who dragged this human in here?"

Bakura glanced at Ryou silently, who was staring at the floor, guilt written across his face. "That's none of your business?"

"It's not, is it?" Marik walked past the two albinos and up to the unconscious blonde. "You know, his blood actually smells better than little Ryou's…"

Bakura growled, quite loudly. "Get away from him. He's already been bitten."

Malik moaned then, and everyone froze, dead silence falling in seconds. They watched the tanned teen roll over slightly before his eyes eased open. "Ryou…?"

His lavender eyes opened to find a set of dark purple ones staring back at him. He screamed.

Marik slapped his hand over the boy's mouth, trying to muffle his screams. "Ra, what did you guys do? He won't shut up!"

Malik fell silent then, looking around the bathroom with panic beginning to rush through his veins. He could see Ryou sitting not too far away, next to that man that had showed up at the school. But the blonde man who had his hand over his mouth didn't seem familiar at all…

As Malik quieted, Marik released him. The teen scrambled away into the corner of the bathroom instantly.

Marik cocked his head to one side, dark eyes a little wider as he raised an eyebrow. "Well, now. Someone seems jumpy."

"Get away from me!" Malik screamed as Marik came closer to him. Marik sat down beside him, sniffing. He could smell the blood perfectly now… He leaned forward, before purring into Malik's ear, "Your blood sure does smell good, little one."

"Get _away!" _Malik screeched, roughly trying to slap the man across the face, but he grabbed his wrist.

"Mm. A fighter…" Marik roughly pushed the teen back against the corner of the walls.

"Marik, let go of him!" Bakura screamed, getting to his feet and advancing towards the pair. By then he was too late. He watched as Marik licked the boy's neck, getting the blood that was left behind from Ryou's previous feeding.

Malik tensed, trying to push him away, giving a shudder. "L-Leave me alone… L-Let go of me…"

"I can't do that, I'm afraid," Marik whispered into his ear. "You're too good of prey to merely pass on…" He licked his lips before hungrily sinking his fangs into Malik's tanned neck.

Malik gave a small cry as he felt the sharp objects pierce his skin. He couldn't move.

Bakura stood, frozen. Ryou merely watched, mortified, never having seen Marik truly enjoy his blood before… Bakura blinked then. He watched the pair, watching the feeding go on and on and _on…_

Finally he regained himself and pulled Marik away from the teenager. Marik fought him a little before allowing himself to be pulled away completely. He grinned down at the boy, who had slid onto his back on the floor, panting, his hand over the bite marks. He whimpered slightly. "'Haven't had prey like you in a _long _time… I miss blood like yours kid…"

Malik gave a nearly mute cry as he tried to get up. He slid back onto the floor, and through his blurry vision, he could see the man being dragged out of the room.

Ryou got up and went over to Malik then as Bakura dragged Marik into the hallway.

"I can't believe you just did that! How stupid can you be?!" Bakura screamed, roughly smacking the man across the face, making Marik stumble. After his blood intake, he was slightly dizzy, so he wound up collapsing onto his rear on the floor. "All you do is drain the blood of everyone in your sight! You need to learn self-control! Now stay out here. You'd better be ready, because when I come back I'm going to kick you up and down this hallway." Bakura growled, and went back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Marik said nothing, nor did he stand back up. He merely licked his lips again, still able to taste the boy's blood. _It tastes so different, though… It's not like I could let him just slip away…_

Bakura walked across the bathroom and over to the pair of teenagers. "Is he okay?"

"I think so. It's a good thing you pulled Marik away though. Much more would've knocked him out, and after that, I don't know." Ryou sighed. "I think he's scared, though…"

"Not that I can blame him." Bakura muttered. He shook Malik gently, who was curled in a ball in the corner now with his knees to his chest, his head down, trembling. "Kid. Hey, kid. Come on. He's gone. You can get up now. I need to talk to you."

Malik, shaking, slowly lifted his head. Ryou felt his heart sink a little when he saw that Malik was crying, the crystal droplets trailing down his face.

"Kid, it's okay. You're not going to die or anything." Bakura said, in all honesty. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Malik tried to back further into the corner then. "G-Get away from me. All of you… Y-You're only here to-"

Bakura firmly placed one hand over Malik's mouth, silencing him instantly. "Look, kid. Just let me explain. I promise I won't hurt you, and neither will Ryou."

Malik swallowed and Bakura removed his hand. He brushed away the tears, but Ryou could still see the tracks they had left on his tan face.

"Okay, so the secret is out. Ryou's a vampire, I'm a vampire, and Marik is a vampire. Vampire genes run through my family, and the same goes for Marik, but he's just a lot more blood crazy than I am." Bakura sighed then, looking at Ryou. "I was stupid enough to take Ryou along with me during one of my hunts. The kid got snatched when I had my back turned and apparently he was bitten by a full-blooded vampire, and now he's one. But he never wanted it to be like this, and he never intended to hurt anyone, especially you. But when he smelled your blood, he couldn't hold back…" Bakura placed a clawed hand on the boy's hair, ruffling it. Malik visibly tensed up. "I'm sorry. You do seem like a nice kid, now that I've seen you. I guess Ryou wasn't lying."

Malik blinked as Bakura put his hand down, and looked at Ryou through the corner of his eye. He had his eyes averted to the floor, and he looked so _guilty…_

"And what happened at school, that was a big screw up too. His vampire senses are starting to fully develop, and his body is starting to react to it. That's why that incident happened in the bathroom, and why I had to pick him up… That's also why the kid hasn't been able to attend school that much anymore."

"…I've probably already failed my semester from absences…" Ryou said softly. "It's okay, Bakura. I can go ahead and drop out… It's not like we'll have bills anymore since I won't be using the light or anything…"

Malik's lavender eyes softened at the sight of Ryou beginning to cry, but he was trying to hard not to… He watched that taller man hug him then, and Ryou spoke up with his head against the man's chest, "I guess I'll just sleep at home all day like you do…"

Malik blinked again. "Ryou… Is this guy your brother?"

"No… I only had a sister. But… But she died with my mother and my Father is gone to some other country. It's not like he ever called. He pretty much vanished…" Ryou smiled a little. "Bakura found me… I got lost on the way home and he took me in." His smile faded. "But he found out my mother and sister died… And he decided to let me live with him… It was a pretty big change, actually. But I never really knew he was a vampire until my later years… But of course I love him like a brother. He's always been like one. He's looked out for me and helped me and of course he took me in and let me live here since I was little… So in a way, yeah, I guess he is my brother."

Bakura sighed. "I think that's enough chitchat." He pulled himself away from Ryou then, and went over to Malik. "I'm sorry, kid, but I can't have the secret in anyone's hands but our own."

"What?" Malik gasped as Bakura's hand curled about his neck, pushing him against the wall, his other hand on his forehead.

"I have to make you forget about this. I can't have you going around blabbing to everyone that we're vampires."

"B-But I won't tell anyone-" Malik was cut off as the grip tightened about his throat.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't trust you that much, kid. Ryou might, but I don't." Bakura's eyes narrowed.

Malik clamped his eyes shut, and Bakura's grip tightened just a little. But then Ryou spoke up, just as the magic was about to kick in. "Wait."

* * *

Chapter 12: End.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I updated as fast as I could because I knew the cliffhanger was driving you guys insane. XD

* * *

Malik's eyes slowly eased open as the man's grip slackened around his neck.

Bakura turned to stare the boy in the face. Ryou was watching them with tears glistening in his eyes, and they threatened to spill over. "Bakura… Please, don't…"

"Are you crazy? The kid will probably go around telling everyone in his sight that you're a vampire! Do you have any _idea_-" Bakura trailed off then into silence.

The tears spilled from Ryou's chocolate eyes. His body trembled with fresh sobs. "Don't… Bakura, it's not his fault… He did nothing wrong… Please, don't…"

Bakura released Malik then. Ryou clamped his eyes shut, the crystal tears cascading down his face. "Ryou…"

Malik looked from Ryou to the older man, and back again, repeating it in a cycle. He swallowed, and a wave of guilt started swallowing up his brain. If he hadn't pursued Ryou at school, if he hadn't tried to come over, if he hadn't asked what happened to his eye and what the bandages were for… _Then Ryou wouldn't be in this mess and neither would I…_

Malik tore his eyes from Ryou to look back at the other white-haired man, and froze to find his eyes boring into his figure. They were narrowed and dark, without any emotion. Suddenly the man got to his feet, dragging Malik up with him. "Ryou, I'll be right back. I won't erase his memories while I'm gone, though. I promise."

Bakura dragged the boy out into the hallway and closed the door after him, before releasing his hold on Malik and folded his arms across his chest. He noticed Marik was at the very bottom of the stairs now, rubbing the spot on his face where Bakura had harshly slapped him. He focused on Malik instead. "All right, kid. Apparently you're just about the only one besides me that Ryou trusts… Though I don't know why. All his friends have betrayed him… But yet you're his friend and you've stayed by him all this time. You're different than the others."

Malik blinked in surprise, lavender eyes widening as Bakura grabbed the collar of his black tee shirt and pulled him so close that their noses nearly touched. He could see deep rage in the man's eyes… "And apparently he trusts you enough to let you hold onto our secret. And I will let you keep your memories of these incidents. But I swear to Ra, if you breathe a word of it to _anyone_, you _will_ regret it." Bakura's eyes darkened even further. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes sir," Malik whispered, gulping in fear. The man's voice was so low and cold it sent chills down his spine…

Bakura released his shirt but dragged him back into the bathroom and closed the door behind them before walking back over to his previous spot and sat down. Malik did so slowly, hesitant. He noticed Ryou had stopped crying…

"I told you I wouldn't hurt him." Bakura said then, and a smile graced Ryou's lips. Bakura chuckled softly. "But, kid, you have to help Ryou. If you know he's in trouble, don't just stand there and call for help. That will only cause more issues. Try to get him isolated from other people and away from light. Since he's still a developing vampire, issues are probably going to pop up and I won't be able to help out," he said, staring at Malik. The boy swallowed again at the sight of his eyes darkening slightly. "Got it?"

"Yes sir," Malik answered, averting his gaze.

"I think you're scaring him, Bakura." Ryou said then, wiping his eyes once more, and a smile graced his lips.

"He should be scared. That's the only way to get to people," Bakura muttered. "Besides, if I don't intimidate him he might go blabbing about you being a vampire to everyone, and I can't have that happening."

"But I think Marik is scarier than you are," Ryou said softly, more to himself, but Bakura heard. "Now I have to agree with you on that. Marik is just crazy."

Malik decided to speak up. "Umm, sir?"

"Just call me Bakura, kid."

Malik nodded. "Was Marik the one who bit me?"

There was a slight silence before Bakura sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I'm telling you right now though; the guy is really messed up in the head. He became a vampire at a young age and he bites pretty much everyone he sees. It's pretty sickening if you think about it. I mean, he bit you as soon as he saw you…"

Malik swallowed. "Does… Does that mean I'm going to be a vampire now?"

Bakura scoffed. "Of course not. Ryou isn't a full-blooded vampire, and neither is Marik. Well, we call them purebred vampires most of the time. But the population of them has pretty much plummeted because the humans that hunt them are killing them all off… We call them Slayers. That's why when I used to go hunting I had to have my bats look out for them first before I went out. And that's kind of why I had the fence built up around us…"

Malik blinked. "Oh…" His fingers unconsciously curled about his set of bite marks, both bites upon the same side of his throat. He noticed that Marik's bite was deeper than Ryou's…

Ryou's smile faded as he watched Malik finger the marks, and he rubbed at his arm. "Malik… I'm really sorry this had to happen to you… I mean…"

"Ryou, it's my fault. I've been butting into business that isn't even mine, and I guess I finally got too carried away with my nosiness… I think I deserved it." He laughed a little, and that sincere smile spread over Ryou's lips again.

Bakura stood back up. "Come on, kid. We'll walk you out."

As Ryou handed over his coat and the pair watched the teenager walk down the sidewalk and after a while, he managed to pull himself over the fence and he disappeared from their sight. Bakura turned to Ryou then as he shut the door. "I can't believe you trust him like that. But I swear, if he whispers a word-"

"He won't, Bakura." Ryou smiled then, and Bakura was positive that his whole face lit up as it spread over his lips. "Just trust me on this."

* * *

The alarm clock rang loudly upon the dresser that morning. Ryou moaned, exhausted. But he rolled over and turned the clock off before sitting up. He looked – and felt – extremely tired, but he was going to try to make it through school.

He got up, putting his feet to the floor. He had talked to Bakura about it yesterday, and the man finally caved and decided to give him a second chance.

He walked down the hallway and into the bathroom, silently closing the door behind him. He paused to look into the mirror.

He couldn't see himself. He couldn't see a bit of himself at all in the crystal clear glass, and Ryou sighed heavily, pressing a hand to the mirror. Even with his fingertips pressed against it, no hints of his reflection came. He sighed again and pulled away before starting the water for a shower, stripping off his clothes.

He was still as he let the water cascade over his hair and down his back. A few times his eyes drifted shut and he nearly fell asleep while standing up, but every time he snapped back to reality with a small gasp. He quickly began washing his hair, but the hot water seemed to be lulling him to sleep even more… With a grunt of frustration, he turned the dial onto the border of hot and cold, and the once hot water finally cooled enough to keep him awake.

After he finished he wrapped the towel around himself and brushed his still wet hair, trying to get out the tangles before it dried. He then went to get dressed and put his towel back in its place.

Walking down the hallway in his crisp white shirt and the pants of his uniform, he carried the other part in his arms and pulled it on, buttoning up the blue coat. He paused while doing so as he passed Bakura's bedroom door.

His curiosity got the better of him.

With silent steps, careful not to wake the sleeping man, Ryou tiptoed through the darkness and over to the bed, where the view opened up further.

Bakura was curled up in bed in a near ball with the covers wrapped around him tightly, nearly like a cocoon of a butterfly. His hair fell partially over his face, and deep breaths gently heaved the man's chest up and down. The scowl was gone from his face, and his expression had softened into that of near bliss and peacefulness.

Ryou smiled at the thought of him having pleasant dreams. He buttoned up the remainder of his shirt and leaned a little closer to whisper to the man, "I'm going to school now, Bakura."

The boy smiled, seeing Bakura shuffling around a little in his sleep before calming again, his chest rising and falling rhythmically again.

Ryou tiptoed down the stairs before grabbing his bag, which was propped up neatly by the door. As he opened the door, he revealed a gloomy sky, and worry pricked his mind. But he pushed it away.

* * *

"Are you feeling okay today, Ryou?" Malik asked at his locker.

A smile spread over Ryou's lips, and Malik could tell he was tired. "I'm pretty sleepy, but other than that, I'm fine, thank you."

A small aura of happiness could be felt from Ryou, and Malik raised a slender eyebrow. "Ryou, what's up with you? You're quite happy today."

"Mm." Ryou shut his locker door, hugging his books to his chest. "Well, Bakura and I were fighting for quite a while and we made up and everything before you woke up, so that might be it."

"Huh. So he's like your big brother but still your guardian…"

"Yeah. But you know, without him, I don't know where I would be right now. I'd probably be in foster care or dying somewhere…" Ryou stared at his shoes for a moment before looking back up at Malik. "That period of time where we fought constantly really got to me, though. We used to be so close and then all we did was fight… But now things seem normal to me again, in a sense, even though I'm not the same person as before because of what happened… But he still pretty much treats me like I'm the same person. The same old Ryou."

Malik blinked. Ra, it had been so long since he had seen Ryou smiling like he was now… Smiling like nothing could stop him and nothing could weigh him down… "So what is it like, exactly? You know, living with a…" He trailed off, not wanting to say it.

Ryou seemed thoughtful for a moment. "You know, Bakura hid it from me as a secret until I reached a certain age, and then he broke it to me. I had always wondered why he never ate dinner with me or play with me outside on sunny days or why he would sometimes doze off while I was in the middle of a conversation with him during the day… But once I knew, it made sense. But now that I'm like him, I guess now that I'm starting to grow used to it, it's not all that different…"

"But everything around you has changed!"

"Not everything. Sure, I can't see in a mirror, I can't eat real food, and a few qualities of my body have changed, but I'm still the same on the inside. And Bakura is still just like my big brother and he still acts like it, even though I'm different now. He helps me out the best he can and I know he's only trying to protect me…"

"You sure do talk about him like an older brother," Malik commented as they walked towards their class.

"I'm sorry. It's just… You know. He's the only family I have, and he's not even a blood relative. He's always there for me, watching out for me, helping me…" Ryou shook his head softly. "He took me in during my time of need and he didn't toss me out like some overused toy. He took care of me. So of course he's like my older brother. I mean, he's raised me since I was little and everything…"

Malik blinked, noticing the tears that glistened in Ryou's eyes, and a sad smile was upon his lips. Ryou's voice was lowered to a trembling whisper so that no one else could hear. There were very few people around since the pair was early, but Ryou didn't plan on risking it. "He n-never drank his blood in front of me. A-And he never bit me. Not even once." Ryou sniffed, wiping his eyes. "H-He protected me from Marik…"

"The one that attacked me?" Malik asked, fingering the bandage on his neck.

"Yeah…" Ryou sniffled, keeping his voice low. "He jumped me when I was trying to find my way home, and it was snowing. He grabbed me and tried to bite my neck… I felt his fangs prick my skin, but Bakura found us… He swept me away from him and I can remember trying not to cry, but I did. I cried and he took me home with him. And Marik came too, but I never went close to him, for every time he tried to bite me… Bakura protected me every time… He hit Marik a few times, screaming at him for trying to feed off of a child…" Ryou shook his head, trying not to cry. "…I… I honestly don't know what I would do without him, Malik… He's the closest one to me and if he gets ripped away…" Ryou's voice trembled. "…I… I just get scared sometimes that he's going to be killed… With the Slayers growing and Bakura being a target, sometimes I just freak out that they're going to find him and kill him too… Then I'll be alone again… I-I don't know what I would do if they killed him, Malik…"

Ryou smiled, wiping away a single tear that had escaped his chocolate eyes. "But that's just the fear inside of me. I try not to let it out anymore. I try not to fear, because it's just a simple trick your mind pulls, but sometimes it's so hard to be brave, Malik. So difficult to block out that fear…"

"I know, Ryou." Malik said softly. "I know how that feels."

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, looking to meet Malik's lavender eyes, which were full of sadness suddenly.

"Well… I just get afraid that I'm going to have Rishid and Isis ripped away from me, like mum and dad were…" Now Malik's breath shook.

"Malik… If… If you don't mind me asking… What happened to them?" Ryou asked gently. Malik never talked about his family…

"M-Mum died while giving birth to me and my dad was killed…" His hands shook upon his textbooks. "Isis is my real sister and Rishid is adopted… But since there's already been two deaths, what's going to stop Isis from being taken away from me? Or Rishid?" Malik shook as he wiped his eyes, trying hard not to cry in front of Ryou. "I mean, it was bad enough that I didn't have a mother and then my father gets killed before me… Isis was really torn up inside, I knew, and so was Rishid… But… I'm just scared I'm going to be completely alone… I'm just afraid that they'll get taken away too, like the others…"

"Malik…" Ryou put a hand on the tanned boy's arm, making him stop walking. The boy buried his face in his hands, crying, his books having fallen to the floor with a small clatter. He felt pity inside of him. He never knew Malik had feared death this much, nor loneliness… "Come on."

Ryou led him to the bathroom, and held the boy's books while he cried, and Ryou tried his best to comfort him. "It'll be okay, Malik. At least you still have real family… My mother and sister died and my father pretty much vanished off the face of the Earth… Now all I have is Bakura, so… I guess you're kind of lucky…" He smiled at the boy. "But I know what you mean. I'm scared of losing Bakura… But if… But if you feel that you need to talk to someone… I can talk to you about it, if you want to, Malik."

Malik looked up from the sink where he had been trying to erase the evidence of tears with water to see Ryou smiling again. It had been so very long since the boy smiled…

And then Malik smiled. "All right then."

* * *

Chapter 13: End.


	14. Chapter 14

Ryou blinked drowsily as he stuffed the books into his locker. He was beginning to feel the effects of trying to stay awake when he was supposed to be sleeping.

"Hey, Ryou." Malik was the source, coming up behind the albino. When Ryou didn't respond, Malik gently shook his shoulder. "Ryou, are you in there?"

"Huh?" Ryou asked, looking dozily up from his locker. "I-I'm sorry… Did you say something?"

Malik bit his lip. Ryou looked _really _tired… "Hey, are you sure you can keep this up? You look exhausted…"

"I feel like it too, Malik." Ryou yawned behind his hand as he shut his locker door. "I really don't know how I'm going to continue this… It's hard enough coming to school in the first place… Staying awake is a whole different story, though…"

The two teenagers started down the dim hallway, in the direction of the cafeteria. Since Ryou didn't eat anymore, lunch was usually when he caught up on sleep. Malik always had to wake him up at the end of the period so he wouldn't miss his next class.

"Ryou?" Malik asked, breaking the silence between them. "Hey, Ryou?"

"Hmm?" Ryou rubbed at his eyes, trying his hardest to shake the sleepiness away. It wasn't working.

"You know… Well… Apparently ever since it happened, things haven't been going well for you… And I can tell it's been wearing you out to the bone by trying to attend day classes. Maybe, if Bakura would let you, you could attend school online or something… You know, and then you wouldn't be at risk."

Ryou smiled. "Apparently you did a lot of thinking after Bakura talked to you. Am I right?"

"…Yeah. Well, I was just thinking about what he said… I didn't really know what was going on, but now it makes quite a lot of sense, if you think about it. And I can tell it's really killing you…"

"I'll ask him tonight." Ryou's smile faded away. "I wouldn't be able to talk to you anymore, though if I stopped coming to school-"

"What difference would it make? You've already missed about two and a half weeks, little Ryou."

The two boys blinked, now noticing the two taller boys who stood not too far behind them, obviously seniors by their height.

"You've been following us?" Malik growled, his grip tightening upon the single textbook in his arms for his next class.

"Not exactly. Well, we were heading to lunch like you two, but we decided to slow it down and listen. Is that a crime?"

Ryou blinked again, slightly more alert now. He heard Malik growl quietly.

The two older boys got from their places and came up beside the blonde and albino. Ryou noticed that the two were twins, both with black hair and dark eyes that seemed to reflect very little light. However, apparently due to being mistaken for the other, one of them had gotten a few blue colorings and the other had a few red.

"What do you want?" Malik growled, snapping away as the one with red highlights tried to touch his arm.

"Now, now, Malik. Are we not allowed to talk to our little underclassmen?"

"I'm not stupid." Malik's lavender eyes narrowed slightly. "You guys aren't exactly ones to hang around."

Ryou blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You really did miss a lot while you were gone, Ryou." Malik's eyes further narrowed. "These guys were pounding on younger classmen and got caught smoking in the bathroom, and stole from their math teacher." Malik grinned slightly. "Pretty sad, if you ask me."

Ryou gasped as the taller of the two twins, the one with blue highlights, suddenly lunged, grabbing Malik by the throat and slammed him into the row of lockers. "You little _punk!"_

Ryou's eyes widened as he drew back his fist, roughly punching Malik in the stomach. Ryou started to run towards the pair, but the shorter of the two, the one with the red, grabbed his arm and held him back. "Now, now, little Ryou. You wouldn't want to interfere, would you? The only thing that would happen is that you'd _both_ get hurt…"

Ryou let out a cry as he was shoved roughly to the floor, hitting his body on the lockers. He looked up to see Malik get punched in the jaw, and it was only seconds before both of the twins were on him.

"_No one _insults me like that," the taller one snarled, shaking Malik like a rag doll in his hands before slamming him back against the lockers. Malik's gaze fell onto Ryou, his lavender eyes commanding. _Run._

Ryou's eyes narrowed. He wouldn't run away. He wouldn't just sit around.

"Leave him alone!" Ryou screamed, getting to his feet and ran at the set of twins. The one with the red in his hair roughly grabbed his throat and threw him back. He looked up as he hit the floor to see the color draining out of Malik's face, the twin's hands wrapped around his throat. Ryou's eyes widened. _He's killing Malik!_

A weird feeling filled Ryou's chest then as he watched Malik weakly struggle against the crushing grip on his throat, and all of a sudden, he felt that feeling spread like a near virus.

Ryou leapt to his feet and ran at them again, and this time, he made it past the hand that tried to grab him, and with all his strength, he shoved the teenager with the blue highlights.

Ryou's eyes widened as he sent the boy crashing back, and Malik fell to the ground as well, letting out a small cry followed by a gasp for air. The tanned boy touched gingerly at his throat, and Ryou was sure he could see it bruising already.

He then looked down at the twin, who was sprawled on the floor with his brother looming over him, smacking him across the face, apparently trying to snap him back into complete focus. But what caught Ryou's attention was the blood, which was flowing out of a rather large cut on the boy's arm from where Ryou had successfully shoved him into the lockers before he hit the floor.

Ryou covered his mouth with his hands. The scent of the blood was growing, and it was spreading fast. He had really no idea how he had managed to shove the boy that hard, but right now, his concern was the crimson substance that was flooding his senses.

Malik looked up from his spot on the floor to see Ryou trembling, unable to look away from the slight amount of blood that was visible. _Apparently even small amounts are able to trigger his vampire instincts…_

Malik got to his feet and quickly went to Ryou and grabbed him by the arm. He started to drag Ryou away from the twins and down the hallway.

Malik pulled Ryou to the end of the hallway and dragged him down the main corridor before pulling him into the boys' bathroom, which, after Malik inspected, was empty. The blonde boy finally released his hold on Ryou.

Ryou, shaking, sank to the floor, trying to keep his breath even. _Please… I can't let my senses activate here… Please, don't…_

Malik got down on the floor next to Ryou, who had his chocolate eyes shut tightly, trying to block it all out. "Ryou. Ryou, look at me."

Ryou, shaking, lifted his head and dared to open his eyes. The smell of blood was weaker, but Ryou could feel his heart pounding. If he smelled it much longer he would have his senses activated for sure.

"Here." Malik pulled down the collar on his shirt, revealing his neck. "Come on, Ryou. Bite me."

Ryou did not move. He just sat there for a long moment, his breath quick. Then, slowly, he shook his head. "I… I think I'm okay."

"You're sure?" Malik asked, letting go of his collar, which rid back up to hide most of the boy's neck.

Ryou nodded. He could feel his breath calming slowly, and he felt better being so far away. He nodded again, just to be sure Malik saw. _I need to be more careful. It's like I've been told already; my senses are developing quickly… I don't need to be anywhere in range of blood. I got lucky this time, but next time…_

Malik looked into the mirror, wincing at the bruises that were already coming up on his tanned neck. He sighed. "Thanks, Ryou. Really. He might have choked me to death if you didn't do something… Not that it would be the first time he killed someone. Honestly, I don't even see why he still goes to this school…"

"It's not like I could just stand there and watch him strangle you, Malik…" Ryou looked down at his hands. "But there's something I don't understand. I have to admit that I'm normally not anywhere close to as powerful as I was back there, so…"

"So you're wondering if power is coming along with your vampire image?"

"Exactly." Ryou frowned. "I guess I'll just ask Bakura about it tonight, along with the whole home-school thing…" He sighed sadly. "Malik… I really don't want to, but I don't think I really have a choice, you know? I don't think I'll be able to keep this whole act up for much longer."

"Yeah. I know. I could always come visit you on the weekends and stuff, though, right?"

Ryou bit his lip, hard. "I don't know, Malik. I mean, Marik is asking Bakura if he can stay at our house, even though he was only supposed to be visiting for like a week for the holidays… And you know how he is… I don't really want to risk you getting bit again like last time."

Malik shuddered at the memory. "Yeah, I guess so… But I'm sure we could work something out, right? I mean, you could always come to my house. I doubt Isis and Rishid would mind. If things go well I don't think anything will happen… And then you could get away from Marik and Bakura for a little bit, too."

"I guess. But I have to ask Bakura first. He's already in a bad mood with Marik hanging around, so I'll have to try to catch him in a rare good one and ask him then. Besides, I don't want for us to start arguing again, so that will definitely happen if I try to sneak out of the house again…"

"You snuck out?" Malik asked, blinking in surprise.

"Well, that's a really long story." Ryou rubbed at his arm. "It happened when we were still fighting and everything. I think I got mad because of the way he was treating me, or something like that…"

"You can't even remember what the cause was, can you?"

"I don't really _want _to." Ryou answered, looking at the floor. "It was bad enough going through that stage. I don't really want to remember it…"

"I can't say that I blame you," Malik answered. "It must've been bad."

"Yeah, but that little stage is over now." Ryou smiled slightly. "I think it was stress from Marik trying to move in with us and all."

"Don't worry about it. It'll clear up soon," Malik said, standing up.

"I hope so." Ryou sighed as he managed to pull himself to his feet as well. "I mean, he used to traumatize me when I was little, so of course I'm still scared of him. I mean, he tried to _bite_ me… What kind of sick person tries to feed on a child anyway?"

"Well, Bakura did say he was messed up in the head, didn't he?" Malik asked, leading him out of the bathroom and into the hallway, where the two began to head in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Yeah, I guess. But truthfully, I don't even really know how Bakura and Marik know each other. He never told me. I guess that's something else I need to ask him…" And once more, he couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Chapter 14: End.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hey guys look, an update! Yay! :'D And now let's do the whole question/answer thing!

**inuyashagirl818:** Actually it's more like a brotherly thing, so no. XD

**Strange Liou:** Well, let's just say Bakura tells us a little story this chapter. :)

Well anyway, hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Ryou entered his home quietly, yawning behind his hand. He planned to take a nap as soon as he received the chance…

He shut the door silently, dropping his backpack on the floor. He blinked as he noticed Bakura sitting on the sofa, a book in his hands. Marik was on the opposite end, staring blankly at the wall and pouting. Ryou could see a mark on the man's jawbone, as if he had been smacked in the face. "Guys?"

It was too quiet. Ryou found himself getting nervous, especially since the two vampires were sitting next to each other and not fighting. It was bothering him.

Bakura looked up, and grinned, exposing his long fangs. "Hey."

"Why are you up? I thought you were supposed to be asleep still…"

"I went to bed early…" Bakura turned the page of the novel in his hands. "So I guess early to bed, early to rise."

Ryou walked across the room, and pointed at Marik. "Then why is he sitting there? I thought you two couldn't sit on the same couch anymore without arguing."

"Well, let's just say a little _incident_ occurred before you came home." Bakura's tone became angry and gruff suddenly, and Ryou knew something bad must have happened during his absence.

Bakura placed the bookmark in his novel and stood up, grasping Ryou by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen. Marik didn't even notice the two leave.

Bakura turned back to Ryou, and brushed his snowy hair away from his neck, revealing two deep bite marks. Ryou gasped a little. "He bit you?"

"Yeah. I managed to push him off and I slugged him in the face." Bakura shook his head, leaning against the countertop. "But after I hit him, he just sat there on the floor, and he started sulking, saying that 'I didn't taste as good'."

"Taste as good as what?"

"I don't know. Maybe the last person he bit. And knowing how many he bites, I don't have any guesses to who it might be." Bakura sighed. "But I don't think he'll be coming near me for feeding again, or next time I'll punch him so hard I'll knock his teeth out."

Ryou smiled a little bit.

"Anyway, enough about me. How did school go?" Bakura asked, seating himself upon the counter.

Ryou's smile faded in seconds. "Well… I'm really tired, for one thing. But do you promise you won't get mad when I tell you this?"

"Yeah. So what are you so worked up about anyway?" Bakura asked, leaning forward slightly.

"…These two guys were listening to Malik and I when we were talking on the way to lunch… They're twins. Malik said that when I was gone they got into a lot of trouble and everything, and the one got mad and slammed him into the lockers and started choking him…" Ryou took a shaky breath. "I couldn't just let him strangle Malik. So I tried to push the guy away, but… But instead of a push I shoved him so hard I knocked him down… And you know I'm not that strong… So why did I suddenly get so much power?"

Bakura blinked once. Then twice. And then the albino recovered his senses entirely. "It's because you're a vampire. I told you before, Ryou. Vampires aren't all about biting people to eat and seeing in the dark. We can have powers of our own besides flight and morphing… You, apparently, are finally starting to gain your own powers. I'm not entirely sure of what you'll get, since it depends on your structure, but strength is a pretty common one, and that's what you experienced."

Ryou blinked, and nodded. Then he had been right all along.

"Now. What happened after you knocked this boy down?" Bakura's eyes narrowed. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"N-No. He hit the lockers and got this cut and started bleeding… I could feel my senses kicking in but I couldn't run away… I just stood there and watched, even though I could feel my senses growing… But then Malik got up and pulled me away and took me into the bathroom… He even offered himself to me for biting… But I said I was okay, so we just sat there for a little while and talked." Ryou smiled a little. "Didn't I tell you I could trust him? He helped me out…"

"I guess so." Bakura crossed his arms. "But still. I'm glad he helped you and all, but I still don't entirely trust him. Trust isn't an immediate thing, Ryou. It takes time to develop."

"I know. But you know, Bakura, he did mention something…" Ryou swallowed. "Would I be able to attend school online? I mean, then I wouldn't-"

"Stop." Bakura sighed then. "Look, Ryou. I know you're having a difficult time with school and everything, but…" He shook his head. "Even if you did sign up for school online, it wouldn't help. Most of it has to be done during the day, like home schooling or regular school. The other option would be night classes but that wouldn't be too easy either…"

"…Oh." Ryou said quietly, a bit crestfallen.

"We'll work something out." Bakura said softly, getting down from the counter then. "Now. I think it's time you got some sleep. You look exhausted."

"I feel like it." Ryou yawned again. All he wanted to do now as crawl into bed. "But Bakura, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Bakura asked, leading the boy out of the room and towards the stairs.

"Malik and I were talking and everything, and we just sort of curious…" Ryou looked up with big, chocolate eyes. "How exactly did you and Marik meet?"

Bakura blinked, and stopped, looking down at Ryou. The teenager's eyes held confusion and nothing more. Bakura sighed, and did not speak. However, he merely led Ryou up the stairs, and his eyes became filled with memory.

As they reached Ryou's bedroom, the boy crawled into bed for his nap, and surprisingly, Bakura sat down on the bed as well, the mattress sinking a little more.

Bakura's tone had softened. "We've always been friends. We met when I was about five."

Ryou blinked. "So how long ago was that?"

"About 2,500 years."

Ryou's eyes widened in surprise, "B-But you never told me-"

"How old I truly am? Of course I didn't." Bakura grinned a little. "I used to lie to you when you were little and told you I was twenty-four. I was just waiting for the right time, Ryou. I couldn't tell you until after I spilled the secret of my vampirism, but yet only time will reveal the perfect time for you to know."

"B-But you don't even look like you're older than your mid-twenties-"

"Ah, Ryou. That's just for show. At least when you get old like me your appearance won't change too much. Sure, your fangs are going to get bigger and sharper, your preferences of blood will change, and a few other things, but your face will probably remain the same." Bakura smiled. "You'll probably never grow to look over twenty."

Bakura chuckled at the shock on Ryou's face, but went on. "Anyway, like I said, I met Marik when I was five. Our parents were close friends and all, so of course Marik and I were alone with each other for quite a while. You know how most of the time you hate the kids you're stuck with? Well, for some reason, we were actually really good friends. Marik wasn't one of those annoying, snobby kids who bossed you around all the time. He was actually quieter than I was, but now that's pretty much the opposite…"

"But now why do you guys fight so much?"

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Because not too long after that, Marik lost all sanity he had. His senses were full-blown and were completely developed. Like I said before, vampirism ran through our families, so we awakened fairly early… But Marik's mind became completely different. He began to get a sick addiction to blood, and he was just becoming entirely insane. Of course, I tried to help him out with his 'problem', but one night, I gave up…

"Our parents hadn't discovered Marik's morphing personality, mainly because he hung around me instead of them. So I tried to talk to him about it. He kept staring at me with this weird look in his eyes… Then he came over beside me, and I moved away, but he grabbed my arms. I tried to push him away, but he was cutting into my arms with his claws, and he shoved me onto the floor. I managed to scream and tried to kick him off of me, but for some reason, he seemed so much _stronger_… And it wasn't long before he was yanking my head up and he bit my throat as hard as he could…"

Ryou blinked, his eyes wide. Bakura was quiet as he told the story, his hands clasped in his lap and his eyes clouded over in thought.

"…I didn't know what was going on. No one had bitten me before… And suddenly my neck was getting wet and I could smell it, but Marik refused to let go. He only bit me harder…

"I kicked him as hard as I could, and he finally let me go. But I had never been so drained before, so all I could do was lie there on the floor… He stared at me, and I tried to move away from him… He grabbed me by the hair and lifted up my head, and licked my neck, refusing to let any of my blood go to waste…

"I became so sick of him. I hated him for that. And ever since then, he tried several more times to bite me. But I had learned my lesson from that, and if he even showed me his fangs, I punched him. But yet he kept coming back… So I quit trying to talk sense into him and just ignored him… But he had only grown worse since he bit me. He had lost all point of sanity and had no self-control…

"Then, as our parents died… Marik vanished. I never saw him again, at least until I met him on the street. He tried to bite me, but I slammed him into the wall, hitting him, not realizing it was him until I saw his face clearly… I didn't apologize for slugging him, because he deserved it, but I dragged him home with me to learn what had happened to him all these years… And I discovered he had wasted so many years of his life, too addicted to blood to do anything else with himself.

"He went off again, until I discovered that he was quickly downgrading, so fast that he couldn't handle himself. His level plummeted too quickly, and soon he drank so much blood that it was sickening. He was addicted more than ever, and even the smallest drop sent him into further insanity…

"So I tracked him down and brought him with me. I kept him at home with me and refused to let him go outside. I only let him drink small amounts of blood, three times a day. Half the time he did not know where he was or who _I_ was. But slowly I scraped him out of the gutter he had dragged himself into. His addiction calmed, but I didn't let him leave the house to go home, even though I hated him. I didn't want him to start plummeting out of control again. He was lucky I managed to get him out of the low-levels to start with, and if things had gotten much worse, he would've died.

"…He escaped one day. I had to find him, so I went after him. And that day…" Bakura stared Ryou in the face. "That was the day he tried to feed upon you, Ryou."

Ryou was dead silent, trying to take it all in… He couldn't believe it… He understood Marik was a psycho, but he didn't know it was _that_ bad…

Bakura sighed, and stood up. "Well, anyway, I think you get the picture. I'll be downstairs if you need me." He turned to leave.

"Bakura, wait." Ryou was sitting up now. "…You said your parents died… What exactly happened to them?"

Bakura stopped instantly, and his eyes lowered to the floor. His tone became even lower than before. "…They were killed."

"Oh…" Ryou said softly, not sure of what to say. "Marik's as well?"

"Both of us." Bakura's shoulders tightened up suddenly. "And they were taken away by those stupid Slayers!"

Ryou gasped as Bakura suddenly punched his fist into the wall, the man shaking with rage and sadness. As he removed his fist, a small dent was in the structure as a result as his vampire power.

Ryou crawled out of bed quietly and walked over to Bakura, putting a hand on Bakura's shoulder. The man's entire body went rigid in seconds. "Bakura… It's okay."

"No it's not! I lost my parents to those people! Just because we're different, what makes it right for them to kill us?!" Bakura screamed, and Ryou was positive he could see tears in Bakura's eyes.

"Bakura… I know it's not right, but that apparently doesn't matter to them."

Bakura didn't seem to hear. "They took them from me, Ryou. I'll never forgive them for that. _Never_."

There was a moment of silence before Bakura let out a snarl, kicking the wall harshly, cursing.

Ryou watched the man silently as he continued his assault against the wall, cursing to himself, trembling the entire time. Finally he calmed down, and rested his head against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Bakura, it's okay… I'm part of your family now, aren't I?"

Bakura turned, seeing Ryou smiling up at him a little, and he caved in, smiling, despite the throbbing in his hand and the bruises lining his knuckles. "Yeah."

* * *

Chapter 15: End.

A/N: Because we all know Marik totally has issues with his sanity.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Guess what guys! I got my lunch box in the mail today! -squeals- I don't know if you guys have played 'Animal Crossing', but I love it, and the lunch box has the characters from the game all over the box! :'D It came with chopsticks too and a case to put them in, _and _it came straight from Japan! -hugs it- I think it's just so cute! :'D

Anyway, enough with my ramblings! On with the story!

* * *

Ryou slept in later than he usually did, so tired that he slept a few extra hours. When he awoke, he found that his curtains had been opened, and it was pitch black outside.

He yawned, dragging himself out of bed and into the hallway. "Bakura?"

There was no answer.

Ryou started towards the stairs, guessing the man was too absorbed in that book he had been reading to pay attention.

He blinked as he reached the end of the steps. Bakura was strangely not on the sofa. His novel was lying on the coffee table, abandoned. He started towards the kitchen to continue his search, but froze.

Bakura was lying on the floor in the doorway of the kitchen.

"B-Bakura?!" Ryou darted over to the man, and turned his head so he could see the man's face. It was drained of all color, unbelievably pale. His mouth was open just slightly, his fangs revealed just slightly. Ryou, after checking, found that his heart was still beating, and that he had apparently fainted. After brushing the man's snowy mane out of the way, he gasped.

Unbelievably deep bite marks decorated the side of the man's throat. Ryou noticed that one mark trailed down, as if the fangs had been dragged down his skin. Ryou also noticed that Bakura's shirt was ripped in several places, and further inspection revealed the deep claw marks littering the man's pale backside.

Ryou glanced around the kitchen. A chair was knocked over and there was a small dent in the wall, but no other signs of a struggle.

Glancing back down at Bakura, Ryou felt a shiver go down his spine. He knew the only plausible cause could have been Marik, but it scared him to even think of what happened, after what Bakura had told him not too long ago…

"How much did he take to make you faint like that?" Ryou whispered.

"You'll be the one next one to find out."

Ryou screamed as a hand grabbed several locks of his hair, pulling him backwards. A strong grip tightened about his throat, and he gasped aloud as he was snatched off the floor and slammed into the wall with such force he felt his heart skip a beat.

He found himself staring into Marik's dark eyes.

"L-Let go…" Ryou whimpered, fighting weakly in the man's powerful grasp.

"I'm afraid not." Marik leaned closer, and Ryou could see his fangs protruding from his lips, which were stained with blood. "Why would I just let you scramble away from me?"

"Let _go!"_ Ryou screamed, struggling the best he could. He managed to kick the vampire, but the man only growled, slamming Ryou even harder into the wall. Ryou gasped in pain, but did not stop struggling. But his resistance was futile.

Marik leaned closer, and Ryou's eyes widened in horror as the man's own eyes narrowed. "Let's see if you taste any better than Bakura… I never did get to truly bite you… The most I did was prick the surface before Bakura tore me away…" He was even closer now. "The most I got to taste was a few drops before he ripped my fangs out of your neck… Now let's just see how much you've changed in all these years, little Ryou…"

"_No!"_ Ryou screamed, but the vampire's grip around his neck tightened so much Ryou couldn't breathe, and he was powerless.

Bakura moaned softly from his place on the tiled floor. His head hurt quite badly, and everything seemed fuzzy… Suddenly his senses picked up screaming that sounded eerily familiar… _Unh… Ryou?_

Tears filled Ryou's eyes as Marik licked his neck, holding his head up by grasping a handful of his hair. And suddenly, he sank his fangs forcefully into Ryou's pale throat.

Ryou gasped in pain and shock, finding himself incapable of fighting back. His eyes darted to Bakura, who was moaning quietly, stirring a little. Hope swelled in his chest, and for a few seconds, he forgot about Marik, at least until the man bit down even harder on his neck. A pained cry escaped his lips.

Bakura slowly lifted his head off the floor, moaning softly in pain. He managed to turn his head, and his vision slowly focused.

He could see Ryou. His eyes were huge, staring down at him with pain and short-lived hope in the chocolate orbs. He then saw Marik, and instantly, his heart fell into the soles of his feet. _No. No!_

He forced himself to sit up, his mind spinning. Luckily Marik didn't notice Bakura's awakening, too busy with Ryou. Bakura shakily stood up, his knees locked, and for a second, he was positive he was going to fall. He wrapped an arm about his middle, panting slightly. He then turned to the pair. _Hold on Ryou._

Tears cascaded down Ryou's face. Marik didn't seem to be letting up at all, drinking deeply from the boy's neck. The color was slowly leaving Ryou's face, and the room was spinning around in circles. He had never been drained like this before… The most he experienced was a bite and a small feeding before he was set free, but Marik just kept drinking his blood like there was no tomorrow…

Bakura, an eye closed tight in pain, managed to straighten up, before reaching out with a pale hand and grabbed Marik by the hair. He pulled himself closer to the still feeding vampire, and dug his claws into the man's side painfully and hissing into his ear, "Stop."

Ryou's breath was shallow, and he watched with tears in his eyes. His neck was throbbing with sheer agony, and slowly, the insanely powerful grip on his throat loosened.

"Let him go." Bakura said, claws digging in further, and slowly, Marik did so, dropping Ryou onto the floor.

Ryou cried quietly, his neck wet with blood. His face was pale, but Bakura was so much paler. Bakura, summoning his strength, shoved Marik away, and sat down upon his knees on the floor in front of Ryou. "You okay?"

Ryou sniffed, rubbing his eyes with a fist, and nodded.

Bakura wrapped his hands about Ryou's arms and gently pulled the boy to his feet. "Ryou… I promise I won't bite you. Just stay still for a moment, okay?"

Ryou nodded. He trusted Bakura more than anyone…

Bakura leaned forward, and licked the boy's neck. Ryou went rigid instantly, but he realized Bakura truly meant what he said, and was not going to bite him, so he relaxed a bit.

After licking away the excess blood, Bakura licked over the deep bite marks, before wiping his mouth on his jacket sleeve. "There. I think…you'll…"

The feeding finally took its toll. Bakura collapsed to the floor in seconds, panting and terribly pale.

"Bakura…" Ryou made his way over to the nearly unconscious man, and stared down at him. The man's skin was so pale it nearly matched the color of his snowy hair, and Ryou watched as every time the man took a heavy breath, his fangs would be revealed. "Are you all right?"

Bakura nodded, his chest heaving. "Yeah… I'm just weak now…" He forced himself to smile. "At least I woke up…before he drained you like he did to me… He knocked me out from draining me…if he did that to you…worse things may have happened… After all…you've never…actually been fed upon more than…a few times…"

Bakura reached up, fingering the holes on Ryou's neck. "They say…that if a vampire licks over them…it's supposed to heal over quicker… Why do you think us vampires always…lick over the wounds we make?"

Ryou swallowed. "…Bakura."

The man stared him in the face. Ryou could barely look at his, for it was so pale and the man looked so weak, it was as if he was withering away… Ryou put his hand on his neck. "Bakura, use me."

"W…What?" Bakura asked, blinking. "Ryou…I can't…"

"Yes. Bakura, you have to. You're a vampire, which need more blood than most. Marik just drained you of so much that you fainted, and that is definitely not good for you. I don't want to see you get any worse… Please, Bakura…"

Bakura hesitated. Sure, he had learned that Ryou's blood was sweet, but he didn't want to risk making Ryou faint from lack of blood. "But…"

"Come on, Bakura. I want to see you get better. And that's not going to happen until you get that blood back. Now use me."

Bakura's hands wrapped around Ryou's wrists then, tight, and he pulled himself up and off the floor, ever so slowly. His heart was quickening in his chest, and he leaned forward, going towards the undamaged side of Ryou's neck, and slowly, almost hesitantly, bit into Ryou's soft skin.

Ryou noticed that Bakura was hesitating a lot. He drank slowly, if barely any blood, and his fangs didn't hurt like Marik's did, obviously not as deep. "Bakura, please. Drink as much as you need to."

Then slowly, Bakura's fangs went deeper, and Ryou felt a twinge of pain in his neck. He was silent as Bakura drank deeply from his neck, not moving at all.

Slowly, Bakura stopped. The man removed his fangs, licking away the blood from the boy's neck, and then went over his bite, before settling back.

Ryou noticed that a tiny bit of color had come back, but not much. But apparently it was enough, for Bakura was sitting upright, wiping the blood from his lips on his sleeve. Ryou also noticed that he felt just slightly dizzy from the blood drainage…

"Thanks, Ryou. But I didn't want to take too much; otherwise I'd hurt you. So I guess I just took enough to get myself back on my feet." Bakura glanced across the kitchen to find Marik slumped against the cabinets. The man growled.

Bakura forced himself to stand up, even though he still felt pretty dizzy, and made him way across the kitchen, before stopping in front of Marik, who slowly glanced up at him with dark eyes.

Bakura grabbed him by the shirt, their faces just inches apart as Bakura jerked the man up roughly. "I can't _believe_ you! I did so much for you, trying to help you with your issues, and then you just go right back to your sickening addiction! And now you've even gone back to biting _me! _And no, that's not even enough! Now you've bitten Ryou!" Bakura screamed, shaking Marik like a rag doll, his eyes nearly glowing red in rage, and Ryou could tell his vampire strength was kicking in, for he was starting to shake Marik harder and harder. "You sicken me!" Bakura screamed, before slamming Marik into the cabinets. "Do you want some matching bruises?!" He bellowed, grip tightening.

"B-Bakura stop!" Ryou scrambled to his feet and was behind Bakura in seconds, grabbing the man's arms in a desperate attempt. "Please, don't hit him."

"Why shouldn't I? After all that he's done, after all my failed attempts, I finally can't _handle_ it anymore, Ryou! I'm going to wind up _killing_ him because he irritates me that _much_ now!"

"It's not his fault."

Both of the older vampires blinked, staring Ryou in the face. Ryou looked away, and stared down at the floor. "I… I feel sorry for him, actually. Blood isn't a necessity for him, Bakura. It's an addiction, like you've told me. For him, blood is like smoking or doing drugs. He can't quit and he has to keep doing it… And I hate to say it Bakura, but maybe your attempts were useless… Maybe he needs someone that's closer to his heart to try to talk sense into him…"

"Like who? The last time I checked, Marik didn't have any friends but me." Bakura shoved the man away, Marik hitting his back on the row of cabinets.

Ryou bit his lip for a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't know. Have you tried asking him?"

"Why would I bother?" Bakura snorted, moving away. "You talk to him, Ryou. I'll probably wind up slugging him…"

Ryou blinked. He could see sadness and almost lonliness in Marik's dark eyes. "…Marik. You miss someone, don't you?'

Marik blinked, looking up at him. Blood was smeared across one cheek, and it stained his lips.

"…Who is it, Marik? Besides your parents, is there anyone else you trust?"

There was silence for a moment before Marik spoke in a quiet, barely heard whisper, "That boy."

"What boy?" Ryou asked, trying to be as gentle as he possibly could.

"…Your friend."

Ryou blinked in shock. "M-Malik? But you don't even know him that well, and he really doesn't know you-"

"…He was better than all of you…" Marik said softly, staring at the floor.

Bakura stared, before turning to Ryou. "Then you're saying that Malik tasted better than I did? That's why you've been moping so much? Because you miss a human boy that you barely know?"

"…His blood was so different…" Marik spoke quietly. "…It was just so sweet but yet it was tainted with a bitterness… It was just so different…"

"Marik…" Ryou could see the sadness growing in Marik's eyes at the mention of Malik. "…I understand that you found his blood to your liking, but what makes you trust him so much?"

Marik, however, did not speak. He didn't say anything more, so Bakura finally grabbed Ryou by the arm and led him out of the kitchen and into the living room, leaving Marik behind.

"I can't believe this!" Bakura bellowed, before turning to Ryou. "I can't believe you actually feel _sorry_ for him!"

"His addiction isn't his fault, Bakura…"

Bakura growled to himself, folding his arms across his chest. "Whatever. It just makes me sick."

"But do you think that maybe, just maybe, if Marik was around Malik more, that he'd calm down a little? Sure, he likes Malik's blood more than most, and he seems to trust him, not that I know why… But maybe, since Malik is closer to his heart somewhat, if he was around Malik a bit more, that maybe it would calm his senses a little? You know, like if someone you were looking up to disapproved of your actions, then you would stop? Maybe something like that would happen…"

"I don't see how you'll convince Malik. The kid is probably terrified of Marik, just like you were."

"I know." Ryou sighed softly. "But I'll talk to him at tomorrow at school about it. Now that he knows I'm a vampire, I can go to him to ask a question that you don't know, since I'd always ask you first."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're like my big brother." Ryou smiled up at him. "I can ask you anything, can't I? I don't have a reason to hide things from you, right?"

Bakura smiled back, long fangs protruding from his mouth. "I guess you could say that."

* * *

Chapter 16: End.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Woo-hoo! 100 reviews! Thanks _so_ much, you guys! :'D

* * *

"Ryou, are you okay?" Malik asked softly, standing next to Ryou as the boy went through his locker, his lavender eyes wide. "What happened to your neck?"

"Huh?" Ryou asked, fingering the bandages. "Oh… You mean these?" He asked, before sighing. He closed the door of his locker, and lowered his voice. "Well… When I got home yesterday, Bakura and Marik were actually sharing the couch. It turns out Marik bit Bakura, and Bakura got mad so he hit him in the face. Anyway, I asked Bakura about how he and Marik met and everything… It turns out they've been friends since they were five." Ryou said, leaning against the lockers. "And I actually found out that Bakura is about 2,500 years old."

"W-What?" Malik stuttered, eyes widening even further.

"Yeah, that's what I said. Anyway, he told me that he started to hate his friendship with Marik because he became addicted to blood and went totally insane…

"After he finished the story, I took a nap because I was so tired. But when I woke up, I couldn't find Bakura… I went downstairs and I found him lying on the floor in the kitchen, unconscious…"

"Was he okay?" Malik asked, biting his lip.

"Well… I figured out that Marik bit him. Apparently he took so much of Bakura's blood it made him faint… And then he came up behind me and pinned me against the wall and bit me… And then Bakura woke up, and managed to pry him away… But he was so weak and drained he merely fell back onto the floor… So I let him take some of my blood to help him get back on his feet…"

"Oh… I'm sorry." Malik said, clutching his textbook to his chest. "It must be hard with Marik living with you guys. I mean, Bakura seems pretty cool and all, and he's a lot calmer with his feeding… But if Marik really is addicted as you say, then…"

"Yeah. I know what you're getting at." Ryou said softly. "But, Malik, there's something I need to talk to you about at lunch, okay?"

"…Okay." Malik started down the hall. "Come on, we're going to be late!"

* * *

"So what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" Malik asked.

"Umm…" Ryou rubbed at his arm. The two were currently walking down the hallway, on their way to the cafeteria. "It's… It's kind of about Marik."

Malik blinked, in both surprise in confusion. "What about him?"

_How am I going to ask him? _Ryou stopped in his tracks. _Maybe the best thing is to just spit it out…_

Ryou sighed, and was about to say something, when a voice interrupted him. "There they are! Those two punks I was telling you about!"

The two boys spun, and Ryou gasped as two strong hands grabbed him by the shirt. He was slammed into the row of lockers, and the same thing soon happened to Marik. Ryou opened his eyes slowly, finding himself staring up at darker set, resembling that of a shadowed gray. "Little Ryou, thinking he can push _me _around…"

Ryou gasped slightly as the hands tightened, and the eyes before him narrowed. Ryou realized then it was one of the twins, the one with the blue highlights that had previously began to choke Malik a day or two ago. "Y-You-"

"I'm going to get you back for what you've done to me." He growled, and Ryou gulped. "I may even kill you."

Malik watched through the corner of his eye, in the grip of the other twin. _This really isn't good…_

"And I'd like you to meet a friend of mine." Ryou blinked in surprise as the twin nodded in the direction of a third boy, who seemed timid. His hair was black and so were his eyes, and there was a pair of glasses upon his face. He hugged a textbook to his chest, watching with wide eyes. "This is our little brother, Ryou."

Ryou gulped as the twin leaned closer, his eyes darkening even further. "I'll make you regret butting in."

The two teenagers gasped as they were abruptly yanked from the lockers and were being dragged down the hallway. "If either of you scream, you get it."

Ryou blinked in surprise as they were both dragged into the boys' bathroom. Malik was held to one side, and Ryou was slammed against the wall. He noticed the younger brother of the twins standing there, watching with enormous eyes, and shaking a little, as if terrified. "Nii-san-"

"Shut it!" They both yelled in union, sending their brother cowering away.

The one with the blue highlights turned back to Ryou, eyes narrowed. "I know you have a secret, little Ryou. You're a vampire, are you not?"

Ryou's eyes grew twice their size in milliseconds. "N-No!" he squeaked, feeling his heart pounding.

"How stupid do you think I am?!" He roared, grip tightening. "I saw the look on your face when I started to bleed… And I recognize that expression…"

Ryou winced in pain as the boy dug his fingernails into his side, and he blinked in shock. They were more like the claws he possessed… They drew blood in an instant…

The twin rummaged through his pocket, extracting a pocketknife. Ryou gasped, eyes growing wide. His gasp suddenly morphed into an agonized cry of pain as the knife was plunged into his upper arm. The boy trembled, and tears of pain began to tickle down his face.

"You know, little Ryou…" He licked the blood off the knife then, and leaned closer to the shaking boy, "Your blood tastes quite nice. And I guess before you die, you get to realize that we both house the same secret…"

"Y-You mean-"

"Yes, little Ryou. We're vampires too." He smirked then, and Ryou's eyes widened even further at the sight of the fangs that protruded from the boy's lips. "But of course we're smart enough to hide it…" He began to tear away the bandages on Ryou's neck.

"No!" Malik managed to pull himself out of the other twin's grip and was charging towards the other, "Leave him alone!"

"Silence, mortal." He hissed, baring his fangs. He threw out one hand, a sudden burst of light knocking Malik off his feet and sent him crashing to the floor, before he turned back to Ryou, grinning. "Seems you were lucky enough to witness one of my powers as well…"

Malik growled. _I have to save Ryou… But I can't fight both of these guys by myself… _His hands clenched into fists. _What should I do?!_

Ryou cried openly now, shaking. He held his breath as the boy leaned closer and closer, his heart pounding so fast he thought it would burst… The fangs roughly entered his throat then, and Ryou gave out a cry of pain.

Malik got to his feet and started to run forward, but he was pulled back as the twin with the red highlights grabbed him by the shirt. He screamed as his claws sliced into his stomach, creating an enormous gash. Malik watched, terrified, as blood slowly soaked the front of his uniform. The grip suddenly faded.

Malik looked over his shoulder, finding the younger of the boys with his hand wrapped about the twin's throat. There was a bluish light flowing from his hand and into the man's neck, before he was sent crumpling to the floor. "B-But-"

Malik blinked in shock as the boy ran across the bathroom, doing the same to the other twin. All the blonde teen could do was stand there and watch in silence.

Ryou opened his eyes as he felt the grip of the fangs leave his throat. He couldn't be more shocked to find the twin's eyes rolling back, and a hand was coiled about his throat. Suddenly the twin fell to the floor, sending Ryou crashing down with him. Ryou stared upwards weakly, and couldn't be more shocked to find himself staring up at their younger brother. "B…But I thought…"

"I'm so sorry. I should have done something sooner, but I wasn't thinking. I apologize for Nii-san's behavior, along with the other…"

Ryou suddenly felt sick. The blood flowing from his side was already making him dizzy, but he had lost too much blood… His vision was blurring rapidly…

The boy left his side then, and went over to Malik, who was shaking and now hunched on his knees. The young boy gently hefted Malik into his arms and carried him across the bathroom, setting him down next to Ryou.

"Ryou-kun, I know you're a vampire. Do you have anyone around that I can send a message to for help? I cannot call anyone else in the school, or the secret would be out of Nii-san-"

"B… Ba…kura…" Ryou whispered. He felt like he was going to throw up…

"Where can I reach him?" The boy asked, a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou whispered the address of his home, and the boy closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them, "A bat should be on its way to your home right now, Ryou-kun."

Malik looked through hazy vision to Ryou, who was rapidly paling. "Ryou…"

-

Bakura was snapped out of his slumber by a sound at his window, like someone was knocking on the glass.

Grumbling, he rolled out of bed and made his way across the pitch-black bedroom, and opened the curtain just slightly. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a bat sitting on his windowsill, staring at his with red eyes.

The man opened the window just enough to allow the bat entry. "What are doing here, little one?" He asked, extending an arm. The bat perched itself upon his upper arm.

There was a small moment of silence as Bakura listened to the bat speak, easily understanding its words. "What? Ryou? But what about that Malik kid?"

More words. Bakura's eyes widened nearly twice their size. "Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

The man didn't bother to change clothes. He merely slipped on his cloak, which he often kept out for in case he had to go out during the day. It easily protected him from sunlight. The man clambered into the windowsill, cloak pulled about his skinny frame. "Take me to them, and hurry."

The bat flew off. Bakura jumped from the window, and instantly, his form morphed into that of a bat as well, and he quickly followed.

-

Malik was shaking. His uniform was soaked with blood. He had followed the advice of the strange boy, and was pressing the uniform against his gashes. It seemed that with enough pressure, the bleeding would slow. It seemed to be working.

Ryou, however, was only getting worse.

The wound in his arm was gushing blood, the entire sleeve of his uniform red with the substance. The young boy was trying to slow the bleeding, but nothing seemed to be working…

He and Malik turned as he heard the breaking of glass. They watched as a figure dropped down from the high area of the windows, and landed lightly on the floor, before racing into the bathroom. He pulled down his hood then, and Malik soon realized it was Bakura.

His hand was bleeding from breaking the glass, but it didn't matter. "Ryou!"

The man raced across the small space and was by the boy's side instantly. He noticed how the once blue sleeve of the boy's uniform was now bright red. The albino's eyes widened as he removed Ryou of his uniform, finding a deep gash upon Ryou's arm. He lifted the boy into his arms, "Ryou. Ryou, can you hear me?"

Ryou moaned softly, managing to lift his gaze, finding himself staring up into Bakura's worried face. "B… Ba…kura… I… I'm…sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault." Bakura said softly, before putting his hand over Ryou's wound. A white light made its way over Ryou's wound, and it sealed almost instantly.

Bakura then set Ryou down and made his way over to Malik, and did the same to the tanned teenager. Finally all was silent.

Bakura went back to Ryou, and held the boy close. He then looked at the younger brother of the twins. "You were the one who sent the bat to the house, right?"

"Yes." He bowed his head. "I'm very sorry for what Nii-san has done. Both of them… They do not listen to me, and they pick on a lot of kids here. I should have done something sooner to stop them, but-"

"Don't blame yourself." Bakura said, and looked across the bathroom, staring at the two twins, who were sprawled across the bathroom floor in front of the stalls. "They're going to get what they deserve soon enough. By the way…" Bakura looked the boy in the face. "I've noticed that you have yet to try to bite these boys, even though the scent of their blood has flooded the area. So why are you so collected?"

"…I'm not exactly a developed vampire yet." The boy confessed, looking at the floor. "I don't feed very often, to be honest. My powers have already came, but I've yet to hit the stage where I drink blood for my main meals."

"That happens sometimes. You'll get there eventually, trust me on it." Bakura nodded once. "But thank you. Without you, these boys could've gotten seriously hurt."

Ryou whimpered. Bakura looked down at him, feeling Ryou's hands curling about the folds of his shirt. His chocolate eyes were filled with pain. "B… Ba…kura…"

Bakura lowered himself a little more, pulling down the bit of cloak that hid his neck from sight, "Here. Drink up."

Ryou hesitated.

"Come on, Ryou. Drink." Bakura got closer. "You've lost a lot of blood. I don't want things to get any worse. Now, drink."

Ryou, trembling, slowly grabbed hold of Bakura's shirt and held himself up.

The remainder of the teens watched as Ryou leaned closer, fangs protruding from his lips.

* * *

Chapter 17: End.

A/N: Did any of you see that coming? XD


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Guess what, guys? This is the longest chapter I've _ever_ written. Maybe I'll start writing long chapters like this from now on. :)

* * *

Ryou's hands tightened upon Bakura's black cloak, leaning closer. He opened his mouth further, and he slowly bit into Bakura's pale neck. He fell silent, his eyes shut, drinking from the man's neck, but tried hard not to drink too much. After about a minute, he pulled away.

Bakura smiled. "Good." He laughed a little, ruffling Ryou's hair. "Seems you've become a bit more comfortable with the whole feeding thing by now."

Ryou nodded slightly, leaning against him. Even with the blood, he still felt dizzy and even more tired than before… He noticed Malik was almost asleep, leaning against the bathroom wall.

Bakura turned back to the boy with the glasses, who blinked, his black eyes a little wider. "Thanks again. You know, I never did get your name." He cocked his head to one side, blinking once.

"Oh. Well, you guys can call me Koji. It's what most of the guys in my classes call me."

"What grade are you in, anyway?" Bakura asked, feeling Ryou rest his head against his shoulder.

"I guess you could say eleventh." Koji smiled a little more. "And I understand that Ryou-kun is in tenth, correct?"

"Yeah." Bakura couldn't help but smile. "Ra, I can remember taking the kid to school when he was just a little kid…" He looked down at Ryou, the boy now sleeping against his frame. He looked back up. "Hey, Koji, if you don't mind, can I ask you some things?"

"I don't mind." He said, smiling, his fangs barely showing past his lips.

"Were you born into vampirism, or were you bitten?"

"Actually, I was bitten. I have a different mother than the twins."

"Wait, what?" Bakura asked, blinking.

"Father is a vampire. He was once married to another vampire, and that's where the twins came. But before I was born, a Slayer got hold of his wife, and she was killed. Father spent nearly a year mourning, until he fell in love with a human, and they were married. Then I came in. But since Mother is a mortal, I didn't exactly have the same results. That's one reason my eyesight isn't as strong as most vampires…"

"Oh." Bakura said softly. He didn't really know anything else to say. "Speaking of your family, do you mind explaining your brothers to me?"

"Well, I don't often call them by their names. The one with the blue highlights is the oldest, actually, and his real name is Tokutaro." Koji pointed to the one with the red in his hair. "And that's Tokujiro."

Bakura blinked. "They sound alike."

"Well, they look the same too. That's one reason Father wanted them to get the highlights. He calls them by their real names, but that's pretty much why I just use Nii-san. The similarities can be quite confusing sometimes."

Bakura couldn't help but smile as the boy laughed. He noticed it was soft and contained, but still held a lace of amusement. "You know, you sound like a nice kid. I don't find that very often."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Just call me Bakura." The vampire chuckled softly.

The conversation stopped as the twins moaned softly on the floor.

Bakura's eyes narrowed as he gently lifted Ryou and set him against the wall, next to Malik. "Let me handle this, okay?"

Bakura was across the bathroom in seconds, looming over the two boys like a vicious shadow. He grabbed them both, one in each hand, and slammed them into the wall. He could see pure confusion in their eyes. "Let me give you a short introduction of myself." His hands tightened on their shirt collars. "You two can call me Bakura. I watch over Ryou. And it makes me angry to have my sleep disturbed to come down to this school, and kick some sense into a set of punks who think they can push Ryou around!" He roared, anger swallowing up his eyes. "_No one_ messes with Ryou and gets away with it!" Bakura's eyes were nearly glowing with rage.

"W-We weren't-"

"And did I mention that I hate liars? It makes me angry. And you won't like me when I'm angry." Bakura growled in a dangerous voice. His claws were cutting into the shirt collars of their uniforms now. "And it's worse for you two, because I'm already _furious _with the both of you."

Bakura snarled, beginning his assault upon the pair.

When he finished, he threw the two vampires to the floor, eyes filled with a malicious glow. He bent down, and snarled in a whisper, "If either of you mess with those two boys again, I will hunt you both down and _kill _you. If you so much as _approach _them, you _will _regret it."

He stood up, wiping some of the blood that had came out of his attack on his pants. He looked at Koji then, "Sorry. But I had to do _something_. If I _didn't_ beat them up, showing them who the boss was, they would probably just keep messing with Ryou and that Malik kid."

"Honestly, I appreciate what you did. I doubt that I would be able to stand up to them myself. And it's about time someone put them in their place. They've been messing with a lot of kids lately…"

Bakura snorted, hands placed on his hips. "I'll tell you one thing, people like your brothers make me sick."

Bakura made his way back across the bathroom, and sat down upon his knees in front of the two teenagers. He slipped his arms under Ryou and lifted him up, and held him in his right arm. He then scooped up Malik, holding him in his free arm. "Well, I've got to go. Do you think you can take care of this for me?"

"Of course. And I'll cover for Ryou-kun and Malik-kun, okay?"

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." Bakura smiled, fangs curving from his lips. "Seriously, thanks for the help and all."

"Don't mention it." He grinned back at the albino. "Oh, by the way, I doubt you'll be able to fly out of here, or head out the doors or anything. If you go to the end of the hall, there should be a window low enough for you to climb through. But you'll have to be careful. Some people are probably coming back from lunch now."

"Got it. Thanks." Bakura ran into the hallway, his hood already pulled up and over his head. He held the two teenagers tight, hugging them both close, and he took off down the hallway.

He came to a stop as he reached the end. As Koji had previously said, there was in fact a low window, slightly open, and just large enough for a person to squeeze through.

Using his shoulder, Bakura nudged the window, and it opened a little more. He kept pushing on it until it opened completely.

He set both teenagers down in the windowsill, before opening his cloak, revealing the clothes he had been sleeping in. He picked Ryou back up then, holding him in his right arm. He pulled the edges of the cloak around the boy, holding his form as close to his chest as he could to allow more of the cloak to cover his figure. When Ryou's body was finally shielded enough to block the sun, Bakura picked Malik up in his free arm.

The man leapt into the windowsill, and slipped outside. He started to run down the sidewalk.

When he arrived home, he slipped into the house silently. He found Marik still asleep, and he felt the effects from staying awake getting to him.

He climbed the stairs with silent steps, and made his way into the bathroom. Setting the two teenagers upon the bathroom mat, he rummaged through the cabinets and extracted the first aid kit and a small container. He then seated himself upon the bathroom floor, deciding to start with Ryou.

He pulled off the boy's uniform, revealing the white tee shirt underneath the blue uniform. He rummaged through the kit, extracting a bottle of peroxide, and poured it into the little bowl-like container, throwing a few bandages in to soak.

Once they were done, he began to bandage Ryou's arm. Sure, vampires were quick healers, but he couldn't risk Ryou getting his wound infected.

Malik moaned softly then, and Bakura turned his head to stare at the tanned boy, not saying a word as he woke up.

_Unh… Where am I? _He blinked a few times, before his eyes opened a little wider. _Wait._

"Welcome back to the real world." Bakura said softly, putting in a few more bandages to the little pool of peroxide. "You're at our house, by the way."

"Wait, what?" Malik sat bolt upright, and regretted it as pain shot from around his stomach. He winced, clutching at it. "But why-"

"I'll explain everything later, when Ryou's awake to hear it." Bakura grabbed a handful of bandages. "Now, do me a favor. I need you to take off your uniform and lift up your shirt."

Malik blinked and slowly removed the outer jacket, and almost hesitantly, lifted his shirt like he was told.

Bakura silently wrapped the white bandages about the boy's middle, a few times over, and then tied them so they wouldn't come loose. "There. We wouldn't want it to get infected now, would we?"

Bakura collected his materials and stood, dumping the remainder of the peroxide down the drain of the sink and packed the items back into the first aid kit, before placing it back in its proper place. He then sat back down on the floor.

Bakura pulled down the hood on his cloak then, revealing his mess of white hair. He yawned then behind a clawed hand, getting more and more tired. "You know… Ryou probably won't be waking up until dusk… And I'm getting really tired, so if I fall asleep, just go find something to occupy yourself. You're staying overnight anyway, so you may as well get used to the place."

"I'm spending the night here?" Malik asked, lavender eyes widening a little. "B-But what about-"

"Relax. The boy who helped out today is already covering for you guys at school, and you can just call your house and tell your family you came home with Ryou. Simple." Bakura stretched, not stopping until a few bones in his back cracked. He leaned back against the cabinets, closing his dark eyes. "'Shouldn't be an issue…"

Malik watched, slightly confused, as Bakura near instantly drifted off to sleep.

The tanned boy slowly made his way to his feet, and staggered towards the door, leaving the outer jacket of his uniform in the bathroom.

The instant he made it into the hall, something hit him, hard. He gasped, mostly in surprise than pain, and he lifted his head, eyes growing nearly twice their size as his lavender ones met that of dark violet.

"Well, now. What a surprise." Marik nearly purred, bending down slightly so that his eyes were level with Malik's. "Look what Bakura brought home today."

"G-Get away from me." Malik growled, stammering slightly.

"Oh, calm down." Marik murmured, before staring hard at the teen. "You know, it's strange how much we look alike."

Malik took a step back. "L-Looks mean nothing. We're n-nothing alike."

"You're afraid of me." Marik said simply, advancing a step. "Are you not?"

Malik retreated another step, raising his arm in an attempt to hit Marik, but he gasped as the man grabbed his arm. A cold shiver flowed down his spine at the touch, his blood chilling with fear.

"You're not afraid of Bakura… Or little Ryou… They're vampires too…" Marik's eyes narrowed slightly as he tilted his head to one side. "So why do you fear me?"

Malik let out a weak cry, kicking the man as hard as he could, and fled down the hallway the instant he got free.

But Marik easily caught up, grabbing Malik's arms and pinned them to his sides. Malik started screaming instantly, "Let me go! I said let go of me!"

Marik growled, easily slamming the boy against the wall. Malik gasped, his lavender eyes growing even wider, which were swallowed up in fear.

Malik's eyes grew wider as Marik leaned closer to him, grinning so that his white fangs were revealed. Beads of cold sweat instantly slid down his neck, his pulse quickening. Suddenly, it was as if everything stopped. _No._

He hit Marik. _Hard._

Marik drew back sharply, instantly, as Malik punched him in the chest. The teenager was shaking, lavender eyes filled with such an intense fear…

_I almost did it again. _He took a step back. _I almost…_

Malik's eyes widened in surprise as Marik turned away, and took off down the opposite end of the hallway, sprinting down the stairs before vanishing from sight.

It bothered Malik. He didn't wish to follow, but he could sense there was something severely wrong with the picture.

He slowly made his way down the stairs, and looked around. The living room was empty. He made his way into the kitchen, calling softly, "Hey, I know you're in here somewhere. Come out."

Nothing.

Malik sighed softly. It was dark in the kitchen, but there was just enough light squeezing from the curtains to allow him to see. He stepped quietly into the kitchen and made his way across it, stopping before the kitchen table.

He bent down to find Marik beneath it. His frame was against the main support of the table, legs brought to his chest, apparently to make himself seem as small as possible.

Malik got down on his knees, shaking Marik's shoulder. "Hey… Come on, I'm not going to hurt you or anything. You just scared me-" Malik stopped.

Marik lifted his head, tears rolling down his tanned face.

Malik didn't know what to do. He just stared, the crystal droplets spilling from Marik's dark violet eyes. The man spoke in a barely heard whisper, "Go away."

It didn't seem quite right. Malik frowned. "What's wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I?" He reached out, and gasped when Marik grabbed his wrist with a crushing force.

Marik's hand slowly uncurled, and he looked away, averting his gaze to the floor, ignoring the tears that just kept falling down his tanned face.

"Are… Are you all right?" Malik asked, concern edging his voice. He didn't know what else to do…

"Do I look okay?!" Marik suddenly screamed. "Look at me! Just _look_ at me! What is _wrong _with me?! I don't even know how I _got _this way!"

Malik blinked, mostly in surprise, as Marik buried his face in his hands, sobbing. Malik, almost hesitantly, reached out to put a hand on Marik's shoulder.

Marik cringed at the touch. "Don't _touch _me!" he roared, jumping up in seconds. His entire frame collided with the table, sending it back and it wound up hitting the floor with a massive crash.

"Marik, you have to calm down!" Malik near screamed, grabbing Marik by the arms, who struggled against him. "It's going to be okay! I just want to talk to you!"

It took nearly ten minutes to get Marik to calm down completely. He finally fell still completely, his head bowed with tears running down his face.

Malik put the table back in its proper position, before leading Marik into the living room, forcing him to sit on the sofa. Malik sat on the opposite end.

"Marik…" Malik said gently, trying to be as gentle as possible. "What's wrong? Something seems to be bugging you-"

"Everything! _Everything_, okay?!" Marik screamed, breaking down further into tears. "I'm a _mess_! _Look_ at me! I'm addicted to blood, and it's not like I can stop because I'm a vampire! I can barely look after myself, and Bakura hates me, and… And…" He broke further into tears.

It was rather disturbing to Malik, seeing the man having such a breakdown. From what he had seen and been told, Marik was insane. He didn't think he'd ever be seeing the blonde vampire crying, of all things…

Malik set one hand on the man's shoulder, surprised that Marik didn't rebel against the touch. "It'll be okay, won't it? Everything clears up-"

"I've been addicted to blood for years. It's not like I can just drop the act overnight." Marik's gaze fell to the floor. "I can't be changed. Bakura used to try all the time, and his attempts were just _wasted_. I ruined our friendship-"

"He tried at least. He wanted to be your friend to the end, Marik. He didn't want it to end this way." Malik stared into the man's face. "Do you think it would matter if I tried to help you?"

Suddenly everything stopped. Marik lifted his head, and stared Malik straight in the eyes. "What?"

"I… I want to help you." Malik said, swallowing. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. "I mean… If you _want_ me to help…"

Suddenly a smile appeared on Marik's face, making Malik blink in surprise.

Little did the two blondes know, that Bakura was watching right then, standing at the top of the stairs. He had his arms folded across his chest, watching intently. He had been awoken by all the noise, and was about to go downstairs and ask around what was going on, but when he saw Malik trying to talk some sense into Marik, something held him back.

_Maybe Ryou was right. Perhaps this Malik kid really can knock some sense back into Marik's head… _Bakura grinned slightly, and left the hall, slipping back into the bathroom.

Ryou was still fast asleep, and Bakura's grin widened a little more. He sat back down upon the bathroom floor, stretching out again, before pulling his hood over his head, hiding the strands of his white hair. He leaned back against the cabinets, yawned, and fell almost instantly back asleep.

* * *

Chapter 18: End.


	19. Chapter 19

Ryou moaned softly as he woke up, stretching a bit, feeling a few of his bones crack in the process. He slowly opened his eyes, looking around slightly. "W… Wait…"

"I took you home." Bakura said, making Ryou jump slightly. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Ryou sighed. "It's okay… But why did you bring me home?"

"Well, for a few reasons, actually. But I'll explain later. Come on." Bakura stood, and grasping Ryou's arms, he gently pulled the boy to his feet. "We need to head downstairs."

Ryou just blinked in confusion. The two albinos made their way down the steps and into the living room. Ryou froze. "M-Malik?"

Malik looked up from the cards that were in his hands. "Oh, you guys are up?"

"Well, I was up for a few minutes and then Ryou finally woke up." Bakura leaned forward, frowning inwardly. "So _this_ is what you've been doing since I fell asleep? I guess you couldn't find anything better to do than play cards…"

"It's interesting, actually. Marik is teaching me how to play. It's kind of funny how he still remembers how to play after so long…" The teenager smiled slightly. "I'm not too good at it yet, though. You have to attack the other player with a bunch of monsters in your deck, but you can be sabotaged by spells or traps… It's kind of confusing to me…"

Ryou smiled a little. "You'll probably get the hang of it soon. Come on. I'll get you something to eat. You're probably hungry."

Bakura watched the two leave, in the direction of the kitchen. He had to admit, it was comforting to see Ryou smiling and laughing again…

Ryou rummaged through the refrigerator, "So, does pizza sound good to you? We have a ton of other stuff in here, since no one exactly eats real food anymore…"

"That sounds fine, thanks." Malik watched as Ryou stuck the pizza into the oven. He blinked as Ryou then seated himself across from him at the table. Malik could actually see in the kitchen, despite the fact there were no lights on, yet the curtains were open, rays of moonlight lighting up the kitchen.

Ryou's chocolate-colored eyes were filled with concern in seconds, his voice lowered slightly. "Malik… Did… Did Marik try anything while Bakura and I were sleeping? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Malik bit his lip, averting his gaze, fidgeting with a string on his shirt. "Well… Um… He tried to bite me, but… But I hit him."

"You hit him?" Ryou asked, blinking. "D-Did he hit you back?"

"Actually, he started backing away and ran off. I found him under the kitchen table…" The blonde teenager bit his lip a little harder. "And… And he was crying."

"Wait, _what?" _Ryou asked, his chocolate orbs growing twice their size.

Malik nodded, brushing a stray strand of his blonde hair from his lavender eyes. "But it was strange. He didn't act too insane then. He actually seemed guilty… And it was weird because he _knew _he had an issue all this time, but he finds he can't cure it himself…" Malik shook his head. "Ryou, I just felt so _bad _for him, so I… I offered to help him out. And then he smiled… An actual _smile, _Ryou… And then we just sort of talked for a while before he went back to sleep on the sofa, and he woke up a little while later and that's when we started playing cards…"

Ryou seemed thoughtful for a moment. "You know… Then I guess I was right all along…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was talking to Marik and Bakura, and it turns out that not only does Marik take a strong liking to your blood, but he seemed to… Well, miss you being at the house for some reason, but he wouldn't tell why. So I told Bakura that I would ask you about trying to help Marik – but I never received the chance at lunch today – but apparently it _is _a success…"

"Huh…" Malik took a swig of his drink before looking thoughtful for a moment. "You know, maybe there is a chance I can cure his little issue… I mean, he didn't try to bite me after that, and he seemed quite sane to me…"

The two teenagers stopped talking as they heard footsteps, and Bakura suddenly entered the kitchen. There was a nasty bruise forming on his right cheek.

"What happened?" Ryou asked, concern edging his voice. He rose from his seat and approached the man.

Bakura snorted, not meeting Ryou's gaze. He tensed up as Ryou's fingertips met the bruise, and he pulled away. "Marik. That's what happened."

Ryou nibbled softly on his bottom lip. "B-But why would he hit you?" He bit his lip a little harder as Bakura turned his head completely away, cursing beneath his breath. "B-Bakura?"

"We were arguing again, that's why." Bakura snarled slightly as he made his way around Ryou, heading for the refrigerator.

"Bakura, please, don't start this again." Ryou said gently, one hand grabbing Bakura's arm softly. "Drinking when you're upset won't solve anything…"

Bakura slowly relaxed, and sighed heavily. "…I know."

Malik decided to speak up. "Why exactly did he hit you? I mean, I know you guys were arguing and all, but…"

"We hit each other a lot, kid. That's often how the arguing ends up. One of us strikes and the other gets hit, and it usually ends there." Bakura leaned against the countertop, folding his arms across his chest. "It's common, actually. Ryou hears it a lot, but he usually just stays away when it happens, which is a pretty smart idea…"

Bakura sighed heavily, pressing his palm against his forehead, beneath his white bangs. "Ra… Ryou, I'm heading out."

"Where are you going?" Ryou asked softly as Bakura began heading for the doorway. "Bakura?"

"I need something to eat. You're not letting me drink, so I need some blood to calm me down. I'm hungry, anyway. I'll be back in half an hour."

Ryou followed Bakura into the living room. Marik was strangely not there. "Just be careful, okay?" He said gently, not noticing Malik coming out of the kitchen after him.

"Yeah, I know." Bakura slipped on his trench coat and his fingerless gloves. "I'll be careful. It's not like I've been going out for my entire life or anything."

Ryou couldn't help but smile a little as Bakura laughed. They didn't notice Malik shiver – just slightly – due to the man's chilling laugh.

"Then I guess you're not coming with me." Bakura stated, staring down at Ryou, who blinked. "…Are you?"

Ryou rubbed at his arm. "Well… With Malik here and all… It'd be kind of rude to just leave him here by himself… We already left him in boredom for a few hours while we were asleep, so…"

"It's okay." Malik said, making the two albinos jump just slightly. "You guys can go ahead and go. I know it's a vampire thing and all… You guys aren't supposed to hold out without blood, right?"

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't have to go-"

"You should. You've been at school all week, so you've been pretty stressed. Besides, when was the last time you actually had a night to yourself?"

Ryou broke into a wide smile. "All right. Thanks, Malik. Really." He glanced up at Bakura. "Hold on, I'll go get my jacket." Ryou then retreated up the stairs to find his school bag, which had his coat thrown inside of it.

Bakura and Malik were left alone in the living room.

Bakura collapsed onto the couch and began pulling on his boots. He glanced up with crimson eyes, able to feel Malik's gaze upon him. "What?"

"N-Nothing." Malik stammered. Bakura snorted and continued to lace up his black boots, and Malik decided to remove his gaze.

The tanned teenager's eyes wandered to the table up against the wall, which was littered with framed photographs. He crossed the room and stared down at them with lavender eyes, but did not touch them.

Nearly every single picture was of Ryou.

Malik blinked, staring at the pictures. Ryou was so _small_, apparently still a mere child in most of the photos. Malik noticed that Ryou was smiling a lot, except for one, which he noticed was picture taken of the child when he was asleep, clutching the blankets.

There was one that was different than all the rest. It was the largest of them all, but it was more of a sketch than a picture. Further inspection revealed it to be a small Ryou and Bakura.

Malik jumped as a hand suddenly touched his shoulder. He glanced up to find the source Bakura, the man staring almost gloomily at the photos. "…I wanted as many memories as I could get."

Malik blinked as Bakura brushed past him and picked up the framed sketch. "I picked Ryou off the _street_. I felt connection to him… And back then Ryou was still a human, not knowing of my secret. And I knew that one day, Ryou would die, and once more, I would be alone. So I bought a camera, and I took as many photos of him as I could… But yet I couldn't take any pictures _with_ him…"

"Vampires don't show up in photographs, then?"

"Well… We _do… _But we're just a horrible blur and you can't even see us… It makes us look like an enormous shadow…" Bakura sighed softly. "And I had the sketch done as a gift for Ryou. He has the real one in his room; this is just a copy for me to look at… So now I'll be able to remember how happy he was, how close we were…"

Bakura set the framed object back down on the table. "And now Ryou is going to live forever, just like me. But I don't want to get rid of the photographs, just in case… Well… Just in case something goes wrong… And I want to be able to remember when Ryou was still mortal… Still a happy-go-lucky little boy…"

Footsteps sounded, and Ryou appeared on the stairs, his black jacket already pulled over his frame and zipped up. "Okay, I'm ready." He noticed the two boys standing before the table, eyes cast on the pictures. "Um, did I miss something?"

"Nah. We were just talking." Bakura forced a smile, fangs revealed.

"Well, at least you two are getting along." Ryou smiled. "It's nice, actually. I didn't think you two would ever be friends so fast." He descended the remainder of steps and grabbed his shoes, pulling them on quickly, and his hands were on the doorknob. "Come on, Bakura!"

The smaller of the two vampires headed down the steps, and Bakura turned to stare at Malik for a moment, speaking in a low voice, "Maybe you can try to get into Marik's head a little while we're gone."

Malik just blinked, watching the two disappear into the night. He then shut the front door, and headed into the kitchen, surprised to find Marik sitting at the kitchen table.

-

"I'm actually glad you came with me." Bakura said, breaking the silence between the two. "Truthfully, I was getting kind of lonely."

Ryou blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah." Bakura grinned a little. "I missed you coming with me. I mean, ever since you've been going back to school and struggling with it, you've been so wiped out you haven't gone with me on my little nightly hunts that much anymore…"

"I know." Ryou said softly.

Bakura kicked at a stray pebble with his shoe. For some reason, he couldn't shake away the words from the past conversation with Malik…

"Bakura?" Ryou asked softly. Bakura was staring intently at the sidewalk, crimson eyes narrowed just slightly, and Ryou could tell the man was deep in thought. "Bakura, are you okay?"

"Hn?" Bakura asked as he looked up, finding Ryou staring at him with wide chocolate eyes. "Oh… Yeah, I'm fine."

"Bakura, please… There's something bothering you." Ryou's hand curled about Bakura's arm, making the man stop in his tracks. "Please, just tell me. It's starting to worry me…"

Bakura sighed, and caved in. "Well… When you were upstairs, Malik was looking at the pictures on the table… And…" Bakura shook his head vigorously. "And I just can't stop thinking about it for some reason." He raised his crimson eyes to the black sky. "I don't know. I think it's because of guilt or something…"

"Bakura, it's okay…" Ryou's grip tightened a little. "It's over now. I'm fine… And I think the whole vampire thing is becoming a little bit easier… I mean, you've been helping me through it this entire time, and I really appreciate it…"

A real smile finally spread over Bakura's lips. "Yeah. I guess you're right." Bakura grabbed Ryou by the arm. "Come on, before it gets too late."

Ryou noticed Bakura led him to the same spot as always, and they both sat down upon the bench, sitting there in tense silence as they awaited a victim.

-

"Marik?" Malik asked as he came into the kitchen. "When did you-?"

"Not too long ago." The man muttered, his head down upon his arms on the tabletop. He almost looked like he was sulking…

"What's bothering you?" Malik asked, attempting to be as gentle as he could, trying to be careful. It was obvious Marik's state of mind was unstable…

"…I hit Bakura today." He said softly, and his dark violet eyes seemed to fill up with pain. "I mean, he's usually the one that hits _me_… He always gets mad because I try to bite him and he hits me most of the time after that…"

"But why did you hit him today?" Malik asked softly, sitting down in a free chair at the table. "I mean, we didn't hear you two fighting or anything…"

"We were just arguing… I think Bakura managed to keep his rage under control though, so we didn't get too loud…" Marik's eyes remained fixed upon the table. "We were just talking at first, but then it turned into an argument…"

"About what?" Malik asked, swallowing as he noticed Marik stiffening.

"About me." Marik's right hand went across the table, fingering the small flowers that sat in the middle in a small vase. "Every argument is about me…"

"What did you guys talk about?" Malik asked, keeping his tone soft.

"He wants me out of the house… But yet he's scared to kick me out because I'm so messed up in the head…" Marik bit his lip. "And I tried telling him about how I felt about all this, but he said that I was a lost cause and that my feelings weren't any of his concern, because I never seemed to care about my issues until now…" Marik's hand fell, as if restraining himself from hurting the vulnerable flora upon the table. "And… And I guess I got mad at him… So I hit him…"

"What did he do then?" Malik asked, noticing the pain growing in Marik's eyes.

"Nothing. He just stormed out of the room… Apparently to go talk to little Ryou or something…" Marik gave a trembling sigh, before pressing his hands against his face, the tanned vampire swearing quietly. "I can't stop… It's no wonder he hates me… And he's right… I haven't done anything to try to stop my issues, Malik…"

"You're addicted, Marik. It's not like it's something you can just drop by yourself… You probably need someone to help you, but Bakura doesn't really _want _to because his attempts in the past only went to waste…"

Marik dropped his hands onto the tabletop, and Malik could see tears lurking in his dark eyes. "I just… I just don't know where to start or what to do about it…"

"I told you that I'd help you, didn't I?" Malik said gently. "I said I would help you through this, and I meant it."

-

The two albinos lurked silently in the shadows, waiting in silence. Suddenly they both heard running footsteps, their strong vision picking up the figure before it could fall into a normal line of vision.

"You can take this one," Bakura said in a hollow whisper. "Now go. Hurry."

Ryou felt his heart pick up speed. He hadn't had much experience with feeding on the alert. Most of his victims had caved, giving themselves up, or were unconscious. But he had never gone after a fully alert target that was perfectly capable of fighting back.

Bakura watched silently in the darkness as Ryou's figure began to move forward, just slightly. Slowly, the mortal made its way into a normal line of vision, and became aware of Ryou's presence. The human attempted to turn, but Ryou ran forward, grabbing its arms and pinning them to its sides easily.

A smirk became etched across Bakura's face as satisfaction erupted in his veins. Ryou wasn't hesitating – at least not too much – and he seemed to be drinking quite deeply.

The taller of the two albinos got up from his place in the darkness and made his way forward to the two. Ryou's arms were wrapped around the mortal's back, fangs buried deep within the victim's throat, and Ryou's chocolate eyes were closed as he drank.

Finally the teenager removed his fangs and pulled himself away, his victim collapsing to the concrete near instantly. Bakura bent down and erased the memory then, still grinning a bit.

"I have to say, I'm impressed." Bakura said as all became quiet. They left the victim on the ground, and the two were sitting on the bench again, Ryou leaning against Bakura's side. "You did quite well for your first time."

"Thanks…" Ryou wiped the remainder of blood from his lips, but the crimson substance left stains upon Ryou's once pink mouth. "I was kind of nervous…"

"The anxiety goes away with practice, actually. You'll get used to this pretty soon." Bakura smiled down at the boy at his side. "Who knows? Maybe you'll learn to erase memories soon."

"Mm… Maybe. It would put less stress on you, that's for sure…"

"I don't mind, actually." Bakura's crimson eyes were now focused on the darkness surrounding them, waiting on his meal. He was silent for a moment, before he spoke up. "Ryou, I noticed that you drank quite deep a moment ago. Was it due to excitement and you got carried away, or were you just hungry?"

Ryou blinked, and sighed softly. "Well, I _was _hungry. Starving, actually. I mean, I lost a lot of blood at school today… And I didn't drink too much from you. I know that's a dangerous thing to do in the first place, and drinking a lot from you could have hurt you…"

Bakura's ears twitched beneath his mane of white hair. He held up one finger, his voice dropping to an empty whisper again in seconds, "Hold on a second."

Ryou blinked, watching as Bakura rose to his feet, the man standing in the center of the path. In seconds there was a dark glimmer forming in the man's eyes.

Bakura didn't wait as long as Ryou did. He grabbed the victim as quick as he could, staring only momentarily into their horrified face before yanking their head upright and pushing his fangs into their neck forcefully.

A small wave of relief flooded his tired veins. He moaned around his bite, the blood calming his rigid body, and calmness washed over him, bringing him out of his previous angry state from dealing with Marik.

After he had a filling of the crimson substance, he pulled out his fangs – albeit rougher than Ryou did – and erased the memory, letting the mortal crumple to the sidewalk in seconds.

He made his way back to Ryou, the boy staring at him with wide chocolate eyes. "B-Bakura, you're so good at this…"

"Years of practice." Bakura murmured, licking the blood from his lips. "Come on. We should head home."

"Okay." Ryou got up from the bench and the two began to walk down the sidewalk, side by side, and a period of silence settling in.

Ryou looked up at the older vampire then. The moonlight was reflecting off of Bakura's snowy mane of hair and face, causing him to appear even paler than usual. The paleness contrasted sharply with the man's nearly all black clothing – his trench coat, his tee shirt, his fingerless gloves and boots – but yet it all went together. All of it went, even the crimson stains upon Bakura's lips and canines, which were visible through his slightly parted lips.

Bakura noticed Ryou staring at him, and glanced down, moonlight reflecting and making his crimson eyes seem even brighter. "What is it?"

"N-Nothing." Ryou stammered.

Bakura only shrugged and refocused his attention to the world about them.

Ryou reached up, putting his fingertips to his lips, feeling the fangs against his fingers. He shivered just slightly as the sharp objects pricked at his fingertips.

He dropped his hands, only then noticing that Bakura was slowing his gait. "Bakura? Why are we slowing down?"

"Shush." Bakura whispered. His voice dropped to a whisper that was so quiet Ryou had to strain to hear it. "We have to be quiet. They're coming out to hunt. I can feel it."

"Who?" Ryou asked in the softest voice he could muster.

"Slayers." Bakura's voice grew even softer, and he was barely breathing. "We have to hurry. Apparently this is one of those days where they all come out to hunt."

A bat suddenly flew to the pair, fluttering next to Bakura.

Bakura grabbed Ryou's arm, pulling him close. "Come on. They've already near flooded the main branches of town. We have to go _now_."

Ryou gasped slightly as Bakura pulled him around the corner. "B-But Bakura, how do they know if we're vampires or not?"

"I don't know how they figure it out. But it's obvious we are. We just fed so we're pretty much an obvious target…" Bakura was suddenly running. "Come on. We don't have much time."

Ryou wanted to ask so much at that moment, but he kept his mouth shut, knowing that danger could be lurking about any corner…

* * *

Chapter 19: End.

A/N: Well, let's see... For some reason longer chapters are getting easier to write... I went from about three and a half pages per chapter to five and a half to six per chapter. Big difference, huh? XD


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Blah, I can't believe it's already July... Man time goes by fast. D:

**Bakura's Guardian Angel**: Actually, not quite. When I type up my chapters, they're single spaced. :) In FF format, it equals out to about eight/nine pages. In double-spaced format it's about twelve/thirteen pages. Oh, and as for the whole suspense thing... Can you tell me if what happens in this chapter is something along the lines of what you meant? XD

**Spidey meets Wizard-Theif**: ... I never thought of calling it that. XD (And you have no idea how hard I laughed while reading that.) Anyways, yes, my chapters are getting longer! XD

**Journey Maker**: Well, getting out is a possibility... And Malik will help the best he can, but it probably won't be easy. :)

**inuyashagirl818**: Thanks. :)

Anyways, on with the story!

* * *

Bakura pressed himself as deep as he could into the walls, hugging Ryou close. He could feel Ryou's heart pounding against his skin. The man peered out from behind the building cautiously, swearing almost silently. _This is bad. If only Ryou could transform into a bat, then we could just fly out of here…_

Bakura's grip tightened on Ryou's arm, Ryou giving a small whimper at the harsh grip. Bakura then darted out from the shelter of the building and took off, running as fast as his legs would carry him with Ryou in tow.

But as he turned the corner, something grabbed him by the throat.

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura quickly let go of his arm, and the smaller of the two albinos managed to glance up in time to see Bakura get forcefully slammed into the brick wall. Bakura gave out a small noise from the impact, eyes narrowing.

"Bakura-" Ryou started forward, but suddenly Bakura's eyes shifted to his direction. It was such a stare that Ryou found himself immobile… Bakura had _never_ looked at him like that before…

"Don't you look away from me."

Ryou tensed Bakura suddenly screamed. Ryou's gaze fell to Bakura's chest, and his chocolate orbs grew twice their size at the sight of a blade plunged between Bakura's ribs. "Bakura!"

The man ripped out the knife easily, and Bakura, gasping, slid to the ground, clutching at his heart. Blood began to stain his hands.

"Bakura!" Ryou couldn't stand still anymore. As fast as he could, he made his way to the fallen vampire. As soon as he made it next to the man, he dared to look up at the attacker.

The man was as tall as Bakura was. His hair was black, which reached the base of his neck and his bangs hid his single dark gray eye a bit. His left eye was hidden by clean white bandages and there was a tattoo on his neck, mostly hidden by the collar of his trench coat, which ended just inches above his black boots.

"Who are you?" Ryou whispered, unable to look away, staring into the stranger's dark gray eye, was were void of emotion.

"I should be asking you that." His voice was deep and cold, "I have yet to meet you, but Bakura is a familiar face. A _too _familiar face."

Ryou gasped as the man lunged, grabbing him by the throat with a strong, pale hand, and pulling him away from Bakura, shoving him down to the sidewalk. Ryou sat up in time to see the man crouched down before Bakura, the blade in his fingers, smudging Bakura's life substance onto his hands.

"It's been sixteen years." The man whispered, his narrowed eye staring deep into Bakura's crimson ones. "I've been waiting sixteen years for you to reappear before me, Bakura."

Bakura's breath was heavy, his hands covered with blood. He tensed slightly as the man put his hand beneath his chin, wrapping his fingers about the said part and tilted his head upward so that their gazes were locked. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ryou sitting on the sidewalk, staring at them with wide eyes.

"And I must say that I learned a _lot _all those years ago." His eye narrowed. "I learned not all die from stakes piercing their hearts." His lips curved slightly into a smirk. "But I did learn something. I discovered something that all vampires like you die from. You'll see very soon, Bakura."

Bakura's crimson eyes grew a little wider, and he tried to move away, but it was too late. The attacker already had him pinned to the wall, and pulled a small cloth out of the breast pocket of his coat.

"Bakura!" Ryou scrambled back towards the pair. "Leave him _alone_!"

The man easily pushed Ryou aside, holding him back, his hand wrapping about Bakura's throat, holding him still and forcing the cloth over his face. Bakura struggled slightly, trying so hard to move, but with his wound still pouring blood, the entire world was beginning to spin around, and he was struggling to see straight…

Bakura reached up, trying to push the hand away, but finally it was too much for his system, which was currently weakened due to the blood loss. _Ryou… _He felt his hand slip and fall back down, and slowly, the world slipped into darkness.

"Bakura! _Bakura_!" Ryou was struggling to break out of the man's grip. His hand was now curled about his arm, holding him back from reaching Bakura. "Let me go!" He struggled in the man's grip, unable to take his eyes off of Bakura. The man was unconscious now, and his body was slumped against the brick wall.

"Shut _up_." His grip tightened upon Ryou's arm, and he whirled on the boy, looming over him. "I _hate _kids like you."

Ryou growled, but regret took place as the man's free hand wrapped about his throat, and he was slammed into the wall beside Bakura. The younger vampire struggled violently, trying to break free, but it seemed futile…

And as the same cloth was forced over his face and the world began to get dark, Ryou felt regret flood his veins.

* * *

Bakura moaned softly as he felt the world slowly return to him. The darkness was pierced slightly and he let his eyes drift open. His head was throbbing and he felt sick…

"Bakura?" The voice was soft and sounded teary.

"R… Ryou? Ryou… Is that you? Where… Where are you?"

"Over here…" Ryou's voice came from far across the room.

Bakura opened his entirely, and lifted his head weakly. He glanced around a little, mostly using his eyes instead of turning his head, because for some reason his neck was _throbbing. _He could see Ryou across the tiny space, the smaller vampire shackled to a wall. His face was stained with tears, and his hair had bloodstains in it. The chains were iron by the looks of it, and were enclosed about Ryou's wrists, and there was a collar-like device about his throat that held him back.

Bakura felt suddenly more awake, realizing that they were in danger. He tried to move forward, but choked as something tightened about his throat. He forced himself to lift his hand, which he noticed that just like Ryou, his wrists were enclosed by iron handcuffs. He pressed his heavy hand against his throat, realizing that he too had an iron collar about his throat, preventing his movement. He noticed the stab wound upon his chest had stopped bleeding, but know his shirtfront was stained with blood. It wasn't a surprise now that he felt so dizzy…

"Ryou, are you okay?" Bakura asked, trying to get free of the iron cuffs.

"I… I'm scared…" Ryou whispered from his place across the room. Tears swelled in his chocolate colored eyes. "B-Bakura, I'm scared… I-I don't want to die…"

"You're going to be fine, Ryou. Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here." Bakura said, although deep inside, he was panicking. How was he even going to get out of the iron cuffs? And he didn't have any idea of his location…

"B-But I don't understand. H-How do you two even k-know each other?"

Bakura growled softly at the iron objects, finding that he was unable to break out of them. He sighed deeply and decided to focus instead on Ryou. "Well… Like he said, it was sixteen years ago. I had just gotten through feeding, and he caught me. He tried to kill me… I was pinned to the ground and…" Bakura shook his head just slightly. "He drove a stake through my heart, but… But I didn't die from it. And by then… I was fighting back with all my might… He was still holding me down when I pulled my hand back… And then I attacked with my claws… But he was close to me that…" Bakura swallowed hard. "That my claws caused him to lose his left eye. It became completely destroyed… And while he reeled back to cover his eye, trying to collect himself, I ran. I ran as fast as I could, but I had lost so much blood that I couldn't transform. I couldn't use any of my powers because I was so drained… I managed to get out of the area, though, and took shelter elsewhere…"

Bakura couldn't look Ryou in the fact anymore. "Anyway… That's not important right now… We need to be thinking of a way to get free… I mean, I can't use my powers because of the blood loss, and you don't really have any yet, so-"

Bakura was interrupted as the door to the tiny space suddenly slammed open, revealing the same man as before. The two vampires fell silent in an instant.

Ryou watched silently as the man made his way across the enclosed space before making his way over to Bakura. He noticed that the man had a cigarette between his lips.

"Hello, beast." He said, crouching down before Bakura. "Seems you're finally up. It's been about two hours…"

"Where am I?" Bakura growled, glowering up at the man. "You'd better-"

"Calm down, Bakura. You're still within the city… But I'm afraid you'll never see it again." He blew some of the smoke into Bakura's face, grinning as the vampire tensed up, turning his head away. He removed the cigarette then, holding it in his pale fingers. "What's wrong, Bakura? You don't like smoke?"

Bakura growled deep within his throat, glaring up at him, but said nothing.

"You're being quite silent, Bakura. Hmm." He straightened up. "Well, if there's nothing else you want to say, I can end this right now."

Bakura watched him cross the small room, mashing out the cigarette in the ashtray. Suddenly he began to untie the bandages from his face. Bakura stole a glance at Ryou, seeing his eyes grow nearly twice their size in seconds.

The man's left eye was nearly white in color, so much paler than his other eye, so it was obvious he could not see out of it. There were scars trailing down diagonally, slicing over his eye and stopping a few inches beneath it. The scars were equally spaced lines, apparently from Bakura's claws… "I'll make you feel even more pain than what you caused me."

Bakura's eyes widened as he dug through the breast pocket of his shirt and extracted a small box. Matches. He pulled one out, and Bakura watched, horrified, as he scraped the small stick against the side of the box and a flame started up.

Bakura watched in terror as the man then threw both to the floor, the flame flowing from the match and swallowing the bandages instantly. He then made his way back over to Bakura, and smiled a bit at how Bakura couldn't stop staring at the embers. "Seems I was correct. I've heard you were absolutely _petrified _of fire. Not that I can pin blame on you for it. But I find it strange how you fear it even more than most vampires…"

Bakura said nothing, staring with enormous eyes at the flame.

"Huh." His grin widened a little more and he straightened, heading for the door, noting that the fire was beginning to eat up parts of the flooring. "Well, now, Bakura, I guess this is finally goodbye. And good riddance."

Ryou watched him head out the door, which was shut behind him. Ryou heard the lock slide in place, knowing that know they were trapped. "Bakura! Bakura, we have to hurry and get out of here!"

Ryou frowned, noticing that Bakura didn't even seem to acknowledge him. "Bakura! _Bakura_!"

But the man didn't hear him, his eyes just staring as the fire began to crawl across the floor in every direction.

"Bakura, _please! _Snap out of it!" Ryou screamed, getting desperate. He knew it wouldn't be much longer before it would be too late… Smoke was already spreading into the air of the small room, and Ryou found himself coughing.

Bakura was motionless, his eyes still fixed on the fire.

"_Bakura!" _Ryou screamed, tears spilling from his eyes. "Help me!"Ryou's body began to tremble, becoming racked with sobs. "Please…"

Bakura watched the fire as it started to come closer, mere inches from his feet now. His crimson eyes doubled in size, and he began to scream at the top of his lungs, terrified.

Ryou watched through tear-filled eyes, slightly confused. Bakura was screaming and thrashing like a small child… _Something's wrong._

Tears began to glitter in Bakura's crimson eyes. He was struggling, straining to get free, screaming as loud as he could… Pure terror overtook his brain then, and suddenly, as he lunged, he felt the chains tighten, but suddenly, they went slack.

Ryou, across the burning room, stared with enormous eyes. Bakura lunged against his chains and they suddenly broke as if plastic. But Bakura wasn't coming closer to him in an attempt to free him. He was moving _away. _Ryou blinked, and slowly, panic began to overtake him again as Bakura shrank away into the corner, furthest away from the rapidly spreading fire. "Bakura! Bakura, _help me_! _Help_!"

Bakura was curled up in the corner, knees to his chest and his hands clamped over his ears, his eyes shut tightly. He could smell the smoke… The tears pulsed behind his closed eyelids, straining to break free. He couldn't go any closer… He wanted to be out, almost wanting someone to hold him again and just tell him that he would be okay, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. His brain was telling him so many things, but he found that he couldn't do anything. But there was one thing he agreed with. His mind was telling him he was scared, and he knew he was…

He was _terrified_.

Suddenly, he heard something scream. He dared to force his eyes open, and felt his heart still momentarily. The fire had swallowed nearly all of the room by now… And then he heard it scream again.

Letting his senses follow the sound, he turned his head, crimson eyes widening as he noticed the figure across the room.

_Ryou. _His pulse quickened. _Ryou!_

Ryou was screaming his name and crying out in obvious pain. There were tears pouring down his pale face now, and his skin was starting to darken from the ash surrounding them.

_I… I have to help him… _Bakura slowly got up, but he found his entire being shaking. _I can't… I can't let him die here…_

Ryou was sobbing and coughing from the rapidly thickening smoke. He tugged weakly on his restraints, but no avail. He still didn't understand. How did Bakura even manageto break out of _iron _chains? _And why won't he help me?_

Suddenly, he felt something touch him. His head went up slowly, finding himself staring into Bakura's panic-filled crimson eyes. "B… Ba…kura…"

Ryou noticed the man's hands were shaking. He could see terror scrawled across Bakura's pale face, which was covered in sweat. _He's more scared than I am, and he's already free…_

"H-Hold on…" Bakura grabbed hold of the chains holding Ryou back, but he froze, his crimson eyes widening.

The fire was right at his feet, trying to grab at his black boots.

Ryou's eyes widened slightly as Bakura suddenly screamed, scrambling to the other side of Ryou, trying to avoid the flames, which had already engulfed nearly every square inch of the room. Ryou noticed that Bakura had released his binds and was shrinking away against the wall, his hands covering his ears and his eyes shut tight. "K… Kura… H-Help me… Please… Help me…"

Ryou reached out with a heavy hand, managing to touch Bakura's cheek.

Bakura's eyes shot open at the touch, and terror swallowed his eyes. He found himself staring at Ryou. "…R…Ryou…"

Suddenly Bakura's mind kicked into full panic mode as he noticed the fire beginning to claw at his clothes.

His hands were then curled about the chains, and as the fear grew in his eyes, he easily ripped them away from Ryou's skin, freeing the boy.

"G… Go… G-Get out of here…" Bakura whispered, his entire body suddenly caving in. He couldn't hold out anymore… "G-Go, before it's too late…"

Ryou's chocolate eyes grew twice their size as Bakura gave a pained whimper, and he fell to his knees, struggling to stay upright.

Bakura raised his head just slightly as he felt a hand settle on his shoulder. His crimson eyes met Ryou's mocha ones, and Ryou suddenly wrapped his arms around his frame, whispering, "I'm not going to leave you behind."

Bakura whimpered slightly, sweat dripping down his pale face. He could feel his body shutting down. It wouldn't be much longer, and he knew it. He was so _tired_.

Ryou watched Bakura slowly slip into unconsciousness, before wrapping one of the older vampire's arms about his shoulders. Ryou stood up on shaking legs, hefting Bakura with him.

Suddenly there was a loud noise, and Ryou jumped as a beam from the ceiling suddenly crashed to the floor, swallowed in fire. Ryou hurried through the flame-engulfed room, feeling the embers trying to cling to his clothes. But as he reached the door, Ryou remembered it was locked.

Taking a few steps back, and still hefting Bakura, he ran, and kicked the door with all his might. Luckily the bolts had weakened from the fire, and the door easily broke on its hinges.

Ryou took off, pulling Bakura with him as fast as he could. Right outside the single room was a set of stairs. Ryou took to them instantly, his grip tightening about Bakura.

Finally, as the steps ended, there was a door before him. Ryou's hand curled about the handle and he slammed the said object open, gasping. The outside world stood before him.

They were out.

Ryou stared out into the night. They were on the other side of town, but he seemed to be teetering on the outskirts. Bakura had taken him to that side maybe twice… So he didn't really know his way around too much.

Ryou ignored the building behind him and started towards the city again, holding Bakura close. If the man wasn't so much bigger than he was he could've carried him on his back instead…

Ryou glanced down at the man. Bakura's head hung limply forward like a broken doll's, his once perfect white hair now tainted with soot and ash. The bottom portion of his right arm was solid black in color and his clothing looked burned.

_But why was he freaking out so much? He normally doesn't get scared… _Absently, using his free hand, Ryou touched Bakura's snowy hair, frowning at how dirty it was now. _Maybe something bad happened to him before all this…_

_I mean… He just kept staring at the fire… It was like he didn't even hear me… And it took him so long to even acknowledge that I was talking to him… _Ryou dropped his hand. _He looked so scared… Like a little kid…_

A small smile slowly crept onto Ryou's face, and he spoke to the unconscious male, "But you were so brave in the end. You went all the way across the burning room, Bakura, and you saved me…" Ryou smiled a little more.

And at that moment, he felt like the luckiest person in the world.

* * *

Chapter 20: End.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: ...Well, I actually feel sorry for my brother. He's been camping, and he broke his wrist today because of some idiot. And if that's not bad enough, it's the fifth time he's broken something in that arm. Just _dandy._

And other than that, I'm really worried about my kitty. D': She's almost 20 years old, which is about 105 years old in human years... She's pretty thin too. Since she isn't brushed or anything her fur became so matted we had to cut most of it off. And not too long ago, she got a bad cold. She's an outdoor cat, so she got sick. But we didn't think it serious, but soon it got really bad. So we took her to the vet and she had to take medication, but we think the cold took away her hearing... She can't hear us calling her to come inside to eat or anything... Honestly, I won't be surprised if we find her dead... I mean, most cats don't live nearly this long, so...

Anyway, enough with my rambling, sorry... I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

* * *

_They were snapped out of their conversation at a crash. For a moment, all that could be heard was a loud flow of footsteps, and then there was screaming._

_The two children were motionless in the little playroom, listening silently, barely breathing. Suddenly there were more screams, and a loud noise that was similar to the crash they first heard._

_And then there was silence. The two children were still, hearing retreating footsteps, waiting, and finally, the steps faded, and they allowed themselves to breathe again._

_Suddenly there was a heart-wrenching scream._

_The first of the two boys didn't wait anymore. He picked himself up and was charging down the hall, ignoring the cries of the other one to come back._

_He slowed, and stopped. There was a peculiar black smoke starting to flow into the hallway. Blinking in confusion, he slowly made his way towards it, not knowing what it really was._

_Finally the smoke became so thick and heavy he was coughing, tears fighting their way into his eyes. "H-Hello?" he called softly, coughing harder as the smoke forced its way down his throat, choking him._

_And suddenly, he saw it. Fire._

_He was about to turn and run, but he stopped, unable to move. The flames had swallowed the room he was staring into, which he recognized as the living room. But the flames weren't what were scaring him so badly._

_It was the fact that his parents were inside the burning room._

"_M-Mother!" He ran forward, not realizing what he was doing. "Father!"_

_He noticed that they were tied together, back-to-back. They both had enormous bloody holes in their chests that were still bleeding, and his eyes widened as he realized it. Their hearts had been pierced with stakes._

"_B-Bakura?" His mother asked softly, her eyes clouded. "B-Bakura, what are you doing-"_

"_Son, listen." His father interrupted. "Get out of here. It's too late for us."_

"_B-But-" He started to speak, but his mother suddenly screamed in pain. Only then did he notice how great the fire had become; every inch of the room was engulfed, and the blaze was now trying to swallow his mother. "M-Mum!"_

"_Bakura, get out of here!" His father screamed, "Now!"_

_He found himself immobile once again. Sweat was pouring down his face, but he didn't notice. His eyes were fixed upon his mother, feeling his heart stilling as he watched her scream in pain, unable to hear his father screaming at him. He watched, mortified, as her once pale skin began to turn black as the fire began to eat away at her. "B-Bakura, I… I love you…"_

_He began to back away, but his eyes remained fixed on the set of adult vampires, unable to turn his gaze elsewhere._

_They had managed to slip their hands together, holding hands softly, before giving the child a final smile. "We… We love you."_

_He watched in terror as the fire – which had already swallowed the fabric of their clothes – further darkened their once pale skin. They screamed, louder than the child had ever heard, and then, suddenly, they were silent, their skin darker than night. The fire merely began to finish up, swallowing their figures._

_Panic began to swallow up his mind, and he whirled around. The door – which had already been opened – was swallowed in fire, and now the red and yellow flames had taken to the hallway._

_In a fit of panic, he ran down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him, struggling to find a way out. He couldn't remember the layout of the house anymore. He was just running, running as fast as his legs allowed…_

_He realized that he had wasted too much time. Everywhere he looked was fire. The smoke was so thick he could barely see his hands in front of him…_

_And he wasn't quite sure of what happened, but suddenly, he was outside. He had managed to find his way out…_

_He staggered back, staring up in silence as he watched the abode burn. Suddenly, tears began to cascade down his face. "…I… I love you too."_

Bakura's eyes flashed open.

He sat bolt upright, his heart pounding in his chest. He found himself glancing around, panic quickly overpowering him in an instant. But there was no fire surrounding him. There was no smoke choking him…

"Bakura?" A voice came from across the room. "Bakura, are you all right?"

Bakura turned his head, and suddenly, he found himself staring into a set of chocolate colored eyes. Ryou's eyes…

"Bakura, are you all right? You're… You're really pale… And you were thrashing around quite a lot… Are you feeling okay?"

Ryou frowned inwardly when the man didn't answer. Sweat was trickling down Bakura's face, which was even paler than usual. Obvious pain and fear was in Bakura's crimson eyes. Ryou got up from the chair he had placed next to the man and sat down on the bed Bakura was sitting on. Reaching out, Ryou put a slender hand beneath Bakura's bangs. "Well… You don't have a fever. At least the smoke didn't make you sick…"

Bakura whimpered softly, suddenly curling up further on the bed, tightly closing his eyes and his hands near automatically went to his pointed ears, covering them, as if trying to block it all out. Bakura suddenly sank back down onto the bed upon his side, whimpering and shaking.

Ryou didn't know what to do. After all, Bakura _never _acted this way. He was never afraid of _anything_.

Scooting a little closer to Bakura on the bed, Ryou hesitantly reached out, and put a hand on Bakura's head, before gently pulling his clawed fingers through Bakura's dirtied hair. He could feel the man trembling beneath his fingers… "Bakura… Bakura, it's okay… There's nothing here to hurt you… It's going to be okay…"

For a moment, Bakura stilled. But suddenly his breath shook and his body broke into fresh trembles. And just as abruptly, there were tears. The droplets had formed quickly in the man's crimson eyes and were suddenly dripping down the vampire's severely paled face.

Ryou froze. He hadn't _ever_ seen Bakura cry before… Bakura's sobs were quiet and barely heard, but he shook terribly. All Ryou could do was stare.

"Bakura… Bakura, it's okay…" Ryou said softly, leaning down so that he could pull his fingers through Bakura's snowy mane again, his free hand rubbing circles on Bakura's back. "It's going to be okay…"

He didn't know what else to do. He just sat there, trying to soothe the adult vampire, but he just continued to quietly cry, trembling.

"Bakura… Would it make you feel better to talk about it?" Ryou asked gently, continuing to rub the circles on Bakura's rigid back. "It might help you cope…"

Bakura sniffed a little, his tears finally slowing. His crimson eyes were outlined with red, but he continued to tremble. "Y… You…wouldn't understand…"

"…I've lost a lot of things too, Bakura. I'm sure I can relate somehow…" Ryou continued to comb his fingers through Bakura's hair gently. "Please, Bakura… I'm getting really worried about you…"

Bakura sniffed again, not meeting Ryou's gaze. "…It…" his breath trembled as he spoke. "…It took them from me…"

Ryou blinked, watching a few more tears drip down Bakura's face. "Who?"

"…My… My parents…" Bakura whispered, his body trembling, trying to suppress fresh tears.

"…Oh…" Ryou said softly. "I… I'm sorry…"

Bakura sniffed, refusing to look Ryou in the eyes, but he spoke. "…T-There was a crash… S-So I went out to find where it came from…" He hiccupped softly. "T-There was so much smoke… A-And then I saw fire… A-And I was going to run but… B-But I saw them…"

"You saw your parents?" Ryou asked softly, nibbling softly on his bottom lip when Bakura burst into further tears then, sobbing quietly into the sheets.

Bakura barely acknowledged Ryou's touch, too focused on the memories that flashed in his mind's eye to recognize Ryou's fingers combing through his hair. He nodded just slightly, however. "T-They… T-They were in the room that had been set on fire. T-They were tied together, a-and their hearts had been pierced with stakes… S-So they had lost to much blood to transform or use their powers…"

"Did… Did you run?" Ryou asked softly.

"I-I ran inside…" Bakura took a shaky breath. "B-But they just wanted me to leave them behind… T-The last thing they said was that they l-loved me… A-And then… T-Then…" Bakura's tears increased abruptly. "I-I watched t-them b-burn before m-me…"

"Oh, _Bakura_…" Ryou said gently, but his voice was lined with concern. He began rubbing the man's back again, but Bakura just continued to cry into the sheets, his body shaking as if he was freezing cold. "It's going to be okay…"

Everything made sense now. Ryou bit his bottom lip softly. _That explains why he was so terrified… Poor guy… Now every time he sees even a match he gets scared because he probably sees nothing but flashbacks… And having to see your parents burn right in front of you… No wonder he's so petrified of it…_

Ryou decided to merely wait, knowing that Bakura would calm down when his mind decided to allow it. But he refused to just leave the elder vampire by himself.

* * *

_He was bombarded with questions the moment he made it inside. But he knew Malik wasn't trying to be bothersome, he was just worried. After all, they were about three hours late…_

"_Ryou, what happened?"_

"…_We were attacked on the way home." Ryou answered quietly, setting Bakura down on the couch, laying him down. "…A Slayer, actually… He stabbed Bakura and drugged us and then took us across town… When I woke up I was chained to a wall, not having any idea where I was… Bakura was on the other side…_

"_But then the Slayer came back, and… And he lit a match, which resulted in a rather big fire… Bakura, saved me in the end, but… But I'm worried. He was freaking out and he fell unconscious quite suddenly…"_

_And then they were in silence._

_Ryou gently began to pry off Bakura's trench coat to get a better view of the blackened skin that he had seen earlier. As he pried off the jacket, he noticed how the edges were tattered from where the fire had gotten hold of it a little. He then turned his attention to Bakura's right arm, staring at the black marks that had engulfed the entire bottom section of his limb._

_He couldn't tell what it really was. It looked mostly like a massive burn, but most burns weren't solid black in color, were they?_

Ryou blinked, snapping out of the memory in seconds. He glanced down at the bed as he noticed that all movement had stopped.

Bakura was curled up like a cat, his snowy hair falling over most of his face. His chest rose and fell rhythmically now, and Ryou could tell he had fallen asleep, probably from mental and physical exhaustion.

Ryou sighed softly, pulling his fingers out of Bakura's snowy mane, before brushing the hair out of the man's face and pushed it gently over his shoulder. Bakura's face was tear-stained and the edges of his closed eyes were reddened from the tears. His pale face had slight grazes from the fire, and with his jacket gone the black coloring that was staining his arm was perfectly visible.

Ryou slowly climbed off the bed, making sure not to disturb Bakura, knowing that the slightest noise could wake him up. He gently took one sheet and pulled it over his figure, knowing that it was simple enough to bring a bit of warmth, but much more might make him uneasy. He then tiptoed out of the room, closing the door silently, and began to make his way downstairs.

He was a bit surprised to find Malik sitting alone on the couch.

"Where's Marik?" Ryou asked, blinking.

"When you and Bakura came back, he ran upstairs. He hasn't came back since, actually…" Malik's lavender eyes softened a bit. "Anyway… Did you ever find out what was wrong with Bakura?"

Ryou sighed as he sat down next to the blonde. "Yeah. But I have to say, Malik, I can't really blame him for being so terrified of fire. He came back around after having nightmares of his past… And he was just so _scared. _I could see it in his eyes… He was shaking and whimpering and finally he started to cry… And I didn't really know what to do, Malik. I mean… Bakura has _never _cried before; at least I've never seen him…"

Malik bit his bottom lip softly. "Did you finally manage to calm him down?"

"Well, first, I tried to get him to talk about it…" Ryou paused for a moment. "Well, Bakura told me not too long ago his parents – and Marik's – were killed by some Slayers. But when we were talking, Bakura said that there was a crash, and he eventually came across a fire in the house and found his parents tied up inside the burning room… So I'm guessing that a Slayer broke in and set the fire that eventually led to their death…"

"But Bakura wasn't trapped, was he? So why is he so afraid?"

"…Because he watched the fire literally burn his parents alive, Malik." Ryou said softly, his gaze focused on the floor. "I'm sure watching his family get destroyed like that probably put major scarring upon him…" His hands were tightly clasped together in his lap. "I just feel really bad for him… I'm sure his dreams and such were plagued by the memory for quite a while… And every time he lays eye on even the smallest flame the memory of it probably comes back to haunt him…"

Malik was silent, unsure of how to respond.

"Anyway… He fell asleep a few minutes ago. He's probably exhausted, so I doubt he'll wake up anytime soon."

"Um, Ryou?" Malik asked as the albino got to his feet, following him as he made his way into the kitchen. "Um… Can I talk to you?"

"About what?" Ryou asked.

"…It's… It's about Marik."

Ryou froze. "…Malik, he didn't try anything while we were gone, did he?"

Malik, not meeting Ryou's chocolate eyes, reached up, and slowly pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing two rather deep bite marks.

"No." Ryou's eyes suddenly narrowed. "But why did-"

"Ryou, just listen!" Malik said, a little desperately. He sighed deeply, sinking into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "I… I let him bite me."

"Why would you let him bite you?" Ryou questioned. "I mean, weren't you trying to get him to stop-"

"He's scared, Ryou. He's really scared, I can tell." Malik pulled his hand through his blonde bangs. "I mean… When you and Bakura left, I found him in the kitchen. He told me Bakura wants to throw him out, but… But I think he's scared that he won't make it on his own…"

"But what does that have to do with him feeding on you?"

"Well…" Malik seemed to ponder it for a moment. "From what you've been telling me and what I've seen, vampires can be comforted a lot more by blood intake. Right?" Ryou nodded a little. "Besides, he hasn't tried to bite me for quite a while. I know it wasn't that smart, but… I couldn't help but offer some to him, Ryou. But it was only a little. Too much could completely throw him off."

Ryou sighed. "Okay. I mean, if it works for you. After all, you seem to get inside his head quite easily…"

"Is that a bad thing? He's still a person, after all… He needs help. And just because he's the way he is I don't think that should be a prevention for him getting some help…"

Ryou couldn't help but smile. "At least you're trying."

-

Marik silently retreated to the stairs. _Why is he even trying to help me? He barely knows me. He's just some kid who got pulled in due to some misfortune…_

He could still taste it. Even though it was so long ago, the taste of the blood was still complete in his mouth.

For some reason, he found himself in front of Bakura's bedroom. _I guess I just lost track…_

But instead of just leaving, something wanted him to go in. And nervousness flooded his veins at the thought of it. Choking it back, he curled a tanned hand about the handle of the door and slowly opened the door, making no noise in the process.

He instantly noticed Bakura curled up in bed, a sheet pulled over his body.

As he made his way silently across the room, he was a little surprised to see Bakura's face stained with tears. _Bakura never cries._

He had heard the story both Ryou and Malik had to share. He had even seen Ryou come home, lugging an unconscious Bakura with him. But he had remained out of sight, careful not to let them notice his presence.

He could still see the bruise upon Bakura's face. It had mostly faded, but it was still there. Even seeing the mark brought so much emotion he wasn't sure of what to make of it.

_Maybe I should just run away from all this. At least then Bakura will be satisfied. Little Ryou won't miss me, either. No one will. _He silently left, closing the door after himself. _I doubt even Malik would miss me._

* * *

Chapter 21: End.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks for the advice, guys! I'm going to do my best to follow it! If you have any other tips for making my writing better, please let me know! :)

* * *

Ryou blinked as he heard a slight noise that vaguely resembled snoring. He turned his gaze away from the television to glance at Malik, who had been sitting beside him.

Malik was obviously asleep. His head had fallen back onto the foot of the bed and his arm had fallen over his side. Ryou craned his neck slightly and could see Malik's eyes closed, and his breathing was rhythmic.

Ryou smiled a bit, and silently got up from his spot on one of the cushions. They had both been sitting on the floor upon some cushions in Ryou's bedroom, in front of the bed, watching a movie. He tiptoed across the room and pulled off the blanket from his bed, taking a moment to drape it over Malik's sleeping form. "'Night, Malik."

Ryou silently left his room then, deciding to let Malik sleep. After all, it was only fair. It wasn't Malik's fault he wasn't nocturnal…

Ryou blinked as he made his way into the dark hallway. It was so quiet… There was always something going on, mostly Bakura and Marik arguing, or Bakura talking to him… But nothing was happening. It was too quiet.

Ryou slowly made his way to Bakura's bedroom door, and silently opened it. He could still see the man's figure curled up in bed. With silent steps Ryou started into the bedroom, making sure to not make a single sound as he went.

He stood there silently for a minute or two, just watching the man sleep. He was curled up under the sheet, still in the exact same position as before. Ryou noticed his breathing had calmed greatly. He reached out without thinking to brush a strand of the man's snowy hair out of his face.

Bakura's eyes flashed open as Ryou's fingertips connected.

Ryou's eyes widened, quickly moving his hand away. He could see anger in Bakura's crimson eyes… But it slowly went away. "B-Bakura?"

"…Sorry." He muttered, looking away. "I thought you were Marik for a second there." He sat up slowly, pulling his fingers through his snowy hair. "How long have I been out of it?"

"Almost two hours." Ryou answered, stepping aside to let Bakura have his space. Bakura proceeded then to roll out of bed, making his way to his feet and stretching a bit. "Um, Bakura?"

"What?" Bakura asked, glancing at him.

"…Are… Are you feeling any better?" Ryou dared to ask, hoping he didn't step on a landmine by bringing it up. "I… I mean…"

"…Yeah." Bakura looked away. "I'm fine now." He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Ryou. It… It was just so hard… I think I just broke down from it…"

"I can't blame you." Ryou said gently, reaching out, and putting his hands on Bakura's shoulders. "I mean, it was obviously a painful time for you…"

"It was." Bakura answered softly, his eyes downcast. "…But thanks, Ryou. You did your best to comfort me… You helped me as I went through it again mentally…"

"Of course. You've been helping me for so many years, Bakura, through so many situations… How would it be fair to just drop you, letting you fall when it's your turn to need comfort?"

Bakura smiled a little. "You're such a good kid, you know." He wrapped an arm about Ryou's shoulders, the two heading into the hallway. "I think I did a good job raising you."

"You did." Ryou smiled warmly then. "You really did, Bakura. I mean… You really made me happy… You were always there for me, and you still are."

"Well, at least I succeeded at _something." _Bakura laughed then, and Ryou's smile widened. _At least he's being his regular self again…_

"Hey, I thought you and Malik were hanging out…" Bakura blinked, looking down at Ryou. "Where is he?"

"Sleeping." Ryou giggled slightly. "He fell asleep during the movie we were watching. I thought it was only fair that I let him sleep… I mean we got ours, now he should be able to get his."

"Oh. Well, I guess so… But now you're going to have to find something else to do since he's not around." Bakura wrapped his arms about Ryou's stomach, before hauling him off the floor.

"H-Hey!" Ryou kicked slightly. "P-Put me down!"

"Why?" Bakura teased, chuckling. He started down the stairs, still hefting Ryou above the flooring, even as he went down the steps. "Oh, come on, Ryou, you used to love it when I picked you up-"

"I'm sixteen!" Ryou cried, kicking, but all that his legs met was air. "Bakura put me down! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Bakura had made it into the living room by now, and he stopped suddenly then as Ryou spoke. His grip slackened and he set Ryou down silently.

Ryou turned slightly, a noticeable blush on the teen's face. "B-Bakura?"

"…I know." Bakura said softly, going around Ryou and sinking onto the couch, hugging a cushion to his chest. "I know you're not the same child I brought in all those years ago, Ryou. But… But I can't help but miss that little boy I raised."

Ryou sighed softly, making his way over and sat down beside the older vampire. "Bakura… I know what you're going through. I… I miss the old days too, but… But you just can't bring the past back to life."

"I know, Ryou… But I just… I just can't help it. I mean, before all this, when you were little, you were just so happy and carefree. You barely ever cried, you never threw tantrums… You were always smiles and laughter."

"Well… I know me becoming a vampire isn't what you were expecting…" Ryou put his hand on Bakura's knee. "But at least now you won't lose me from old age, right? I'm immortal like you are now…"

Bakura smiled, just slightly. "Yeah, I guess so." He seemed thoughtful for a moment, before his crimson eyes grew slightly wider. "Hey, do you have any classes tomorrow, Ryou?"

"Um… No. Why?" Ryou asked, blinking.

"Well, call me crazy, but maybe we could go out somewhere tomorrow. The four of us, even if taking Marik along will kill me inside…" He grinned slightly. "But that way we could all get a little closer. You and Malik could have some fun, Malik could get some time with Marik, you and I could enjoy ourselves… And I'll probably get to know Malik a little better along the way."

"But what about the sun?"

"It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so that won't be an issue. We could try to get Malik to wake us up a few hours before dusk. That way not only would we get some sleep, but then we'll have time to get things done before things shut down for the night."

"Well, it has been a while since we actually went out somewhere…" Ryou smiled. "Okay, Bakura. I'll go. Remind me to ask Malik later, all right?"

"Will do." Bakura reached out, hugging Ryou slightly before letting him go. "But I'm not telling you where we're heading until tomorrow."

"Hey, no fair!" Ryou playfully swatted Bakura on the arm, pouting a little.

"Oh, come on… Just look at it as a surprise…"

"…Okay, you win. But I don't know how Malik will accept if he doesn't even know where we're headed." Ryou got up from the couch. "So… What exactly do we do now? I mean with Malik asleep and Marik strangely not around it's far too quiet in this household."

"I know what you mean." Bakura tossed the cushion back into its proper spot and got up. "But it's weird. Marik hasn't came downstairs at all tonight… Was he around when you made it home?"

Ryou shook his head. "Malik told me he ran upstairs when I came in. He hasn't shown his face since then, actually. It's strange."

"Well, just leave him be. It's not that often I actually have some peace and quiet." Bakura smiled a bit. "Anyway, what should we do?"

Ryou seemed thoughtful for a moment before a big smile appeared on his lips. "Ooh, can we go down to the basement?"

"Okay." Bakura grinned a bit at the boy's excitement. "But we-"

"'Race you!" Ryou was already bolting towards the kitchen, ignoring Bakura's comment.

"Hey, no fair!" Bakura sped after him. Ryou had already opened the door to the basement, and Bakura could see his figure slipping into the darkness as he made his way down the steps.

Bakura made it to the first step, and unlike Ryou, instead of running down the stairs, he grabbed the railing of the staircase, and leapt over.

By the time Ryou made it down the remainder of the stairs, Bakura was standing at the bottom, smirking. Ryou came down the final few steps, "Bakura, you cheated!"

"And? If I remember correctly, you got a head start." Bakura reached out, wrapping his arms about Ryou's middle and hauled him up and above the steps yet again. In the darkness he could see Ryou blushing.

"Bakura, this isn't funny!" Ryou started kicking again, struggling. "Come on, put me down!"

"I don't think I will." Bakura grinned widely, making his way through the darkness of the basement. Since both were vampires, they could see perfectly fine in the dark. Bakura continued to carry Ryou through the basement, the smaller of the two struggling uselessly, a large blush staining his face.

Finally, Bakura set him down.

"Hold on a second." Bakura started through the basement again, leaving Ryou behind. "Pick out a game while I'm gone."

Ryou could hear Bakura rummaging through the many items in the back corner of the basement. The older vampire hadn't bothered to sell off Ryou's old belongings, but had merely stuffed them in the basement for storage. However, the rest of the house was so clean and neat it was hard to tell Bakura was such a packrat.

"Okay, I found two beanbag chairs. Good enough?" Bakura brushed his hand over the fabric, removing the remainder of dust from them. He then set them down before Ryou collapsed into the cushion.

Bakura, however, was struggling to figure out how the system operated. It had been so long that he had forgotten how it set up…

"Bakura, is it plugged into the wall? And the television?"

"Huh?" There was a bit of rummaging. "Oh, hold on." Bakura plugged it in then, and straightened up, before turning on the ancient television set. After it had gotten too fuzzy to show any actual programs, Bakura had put it in the basement with the other out-of-date belongings and bought a new set. "Okay, let's see if this thing still works."

He then proceeded to put in the disc, and pressed power. He gave a satisfied smile when the openings were displayed on the television set. "Well, I guess I've still got it."

He grabbed the controllers and threw one to Ryou and then proceeded to collapse into the beanbag chair next to Ryou. The teenager was staring up at the old television, which was bathing their figures in a bit of bluish light. Luckily it wasn't powerful enough to cause the vampires any damage.

"You know, Bakura, maybe it's time you started to do some spring cleaning," Ryou joked, his long fingers wrapped around the controller, waiting on Bakura to choose a character.

"It's fall." Bakura grinned a bit. "Wrong season, kiddo."

"Yeah, but… But it's so messy in here." Ryou commented, selecting a level for the both of them. "You're such a packrat."

"Hey, at least I stacked everything up and put it against the wall. It's all in boxes. At least I'm not one of those people that just stuff everything in one room and let it get so cramped you can't walk. So be grateful."

Ryou smiled a bit, dodging the attack on the television screen. "Well, trust me, I doubt I'd let it get that bad-"

"Since when were you in charge?"

-

Marik was a little surprised to find the living room void of any life. No one was around. It was dead silent.

He silently started back up the stairs. _They didn't even come to see if I was still around._

He slipped into the bathroom. At night, there was a small lamp turned on in the room. Back when Ryou was still a human, the little light was perfect – not too bright or too dull – and it was used in case Ryou had to get up in the middle of the night. But now that he was nocturnal, no one was sure why Bakura continued to turn the lamp on. But tonight was different, due to there being a guest in the house.

He sat down on the rim of the bathtub, holding his head in his hands. _They don't care. I'm a lost cause, like Bakura says… Bakura has always been right… _He got up and made his way over to the window. _I should just leave._

Sudden footsteps brought him out of his thoughts. He whirled around, his back hitting the wall, and he stared in the direction of the doorway.

"O-Oh!" Malik could be seen in the doorway, mainly because Marik had left the door open. "I-I'm sorry… I-I didn't know…"

Marik just blinked. Malik's hair was matted and he looked half asleep, despite the surprise in his eyes. His face had also alit in a strong blush. Marik then turned away, continuing to stare out of the window.

"Hey, are you okay?" Malik asked, making his way closer. "You seem upset…"

"…I want to run away." Marik whispered, not making eye contact with the other blonde. "I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Why not?" Malik asked softly, staring Marik full in the face.

"Bakura hates me, little Ryou is terrified of me, and I bet someone just put you up to helping me. No one likes me, no one would care if I vanished." Tears suddenly began to glitter in the man's violet eyes. "I'm worthless. I'm just a lost cause… I don't have a purpose anymore but to just feed on humans until they whither away. I'm just some insane vampire that suffers from a sickening addiction and can't control himself because-"

"Stop it!" Malik suddenly screamed, and Marik looked up, tears dripping down his face. Malik sighed deeply, putting a hand on Marik's back. "Look… I know you're pretty upset right now… I know things aren't looking the best, but I told you already. I'll help you the best I can. I'm not just going to quit and leave you behind. I'm just going to keep trying until there's nothing left, okay?" he patted Marik's back. "Come on, there's nothing to cry about. There's no reason for you to run away, either, because honestly, I would miss you."

Marik blinked, his violet eyes wide. He stared up at Malik, who just smiled warmly down at him. Marik suddenly broke into tears, burying his face into Malik's shirtfront.

Malik blushed at the sudden movement, but he didn't push the man away. Marik had grabbed hold of his shirt, sobbing into it, his entire body violently shaking. A little hesitant, Malik reached out, before wrapping his arms about the small of Marik's back. "Hey, don't cry. It's going to be okay…"

He didn't know why he acted so motherly towards Marik. Not only was the man older, but he was several inches taller as well. Perhaps it was the man's state of unstableness that set his brain into that position…

Marik sniffed and lifted his head up, rubbing at his eyes, and stared at the flooring. His tears had stilled.

"Better?" Malik smiled again, and Marik slowly nodded. "Good. Come on, you can help me make some hot cocoa, if you want."

Marik hesitated, but slowly nodded.

"Great." Malik beamed and led Marik back into the hallway. "You know, Marik, I don't know that much about you… Bakura said you two grew up together. Are you guys the same age?"

"…Yeah." Marik murmured softly, letting Malik lead him downstairs. "2,500 years is a long time."

"Yeah, and I feel old just being sixteen," Malik joked. By now the two had made it into the living room, and Malik was taking him in the direction of the kitchen. "Hey, um, if you don't mind me asking… Did you ever go to school?"

"…No." Marik said, stopping in his tracks as Malik released his hold, before the teen began rummaging through the many cabinets. "There… There was never a need. My parents – and Bakura's – were vampires. We were born into the vampirism, and it took over at a really young age. Our parents just home schooled us whenever they received the chance… So I didn't learn very much. I was illiterate for quite a while, actually… But Bakura would teach me what he knew. He was so much smarter than I was…"

"Well, did you ever meet any other friends besides Bakura?"

"A really long time ago… I'm not sure how old I was… But our parents took Bakura and me to some party. Of course we just kind of sat on the sidelines by ourselves… When this boy approached us. He was a couple inches taller than Bakura, and he had the coldest eyes I had ever seen. He called himself Seto, and like us, he was a vampire.

"I didn't talk. I never liked strangers. So Bakura did the introducing, and then he and Seto talked for a few minutes. But then he kind of made fun of us, and Bakura got mad, so he hit him. Punched him, actually, right in the face. His nose started gushing blood, and he ran off somewhere. We never saw him again.

"Bakura got a hard whipping that night, but he didn't regret it. We were talking in the lounge and I asked him why he did those things. And he told me that he refuses to let people walk all over him."

Malik's eyes were wide, the thought of the hot chocolate slipping his mind.

"But, anyway, there's not really anything else interesting about my past." Marik held his head in one hand. "Mind telling me about yourself?"

* * *

Chapter 22: End.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Yay, this chapter is longer than the last one! :3

On a different note, listen to the story I have to share with you, my friends. Well, the guy who lives across the street from me lives on a lake, thus meaning that my brother goes fishing over there. But today he and my dad didn't throw the fish back, but proceeded to put it in a bucket and brought it back to our house. And then my dad proceeded to throw the fish into our inground pool. o3o So let's see, I swam with a _fish_ today, in my _pool_, and caught it with my _bare hands_ at a few points. So yes, I'm offically even weirder than before. XD

* * *

"H-Huh?" This took Malik by surprise. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not really." Marik's eyes drifted to the ceiling as he held his head in one hand. "It's not like I have anyone else to talk to, or a better way to spend my time."

"O-Oh. Well…" Malik pondered it for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I guess I'm like you in a way. I may not be a vampire, but I lack parents and friends. Ryou is the only real friend I have… I mean, I used to have others around me, but I wasn't really _connected_ to them."

"I was never really connected to anyone," Marik muttered. "Bakura was the only friend I've ever had, and now look where we've ended up."

"You're quite pessimistic, aren't you?"

"How can you blame me?" Marik's eyes locked with Malik's. "I have nothing. I don't expect anything to happen, and there's no one around who actually wishes to be near me." He paused for a minute, and then spoke up, "But you keep saying you actually want to help, and that no one set you up…"

"Because I _do_." Malik said honestly, brow creasing as he frowned. "Why do you keep doubting me about all this?"

"All that I've ever experienced is disappointment and lies." Marik looked away, head still resting in the palm of his hand. "I'm wary. I don't wish to experience those same things all over again."

"…It's not like I would purposely do that to you." Malik sighed and made his way across the kitchen so that he was standing next to the vampire. "It wouldn't be right. No one deserves to have that thrown into their face. Trust me, I know how you feel about this. You and me are more alike than you think."

Marik blinked, looking up. Malik smiled, just slightly. There was a tense silence for a moment, and Marik opened his mouth, about to speak, but voices interrupted him. The two glanced across the kitchen to the door near the corner, which led to the basement.

"You only won because you cheated!" Ryou's voice was the first one to focus clearly. "You con your way through everything!"

"Forgive me?" Bakura's voice followed. "Please?"

"I don't know if I should." Ryou's figure was coming into view. The two albinos came up the remainder of the steps, not noticing the others in the kitchen.

Bakura pawed at Ryou's back, "Come on, I already said I was sorry!"

Ryou blinked as he heard something scrape, and he turned, finally realizing the presence of the others. "Oh! I'm sorry, did we-"

Ryou blinked, falling silent as Marik roughly pushed his chair back further, making the same scraping sound, and then proceeded to flee the scene. "H-Hey, come back! I didn't-"

"It's okay, Ryou." Malik interrupted him, sighing. "He's insecure. I don't…think he trusts you guys."

"We kind of figured it was something like that," Ryou murmured softly, before meeting Malik's gaze. "How long were you two down here?"

"Not that long. I woke up and he was standing in the bathroom with the door open…" Malik rubbed at his arm. "We just got into a conversation and we made our way downstairs. Nothing happened; we just talked."

"He'd better be glad nothing happened," Bakura muttered. "Just let me know if he tries something. I'll take care of him."

"Bakura, I don't think that would be such a good idea. I mean, things are already bad enough between you two. We're trying to mend everything, not make it worse. I'm sure Malik can handle this on his own, considering that the two are actually getting along quite well."

"Thanks, Ryou." Malik yawned. "Hey, do you guys know what time it is?"

"About six: too late for you to go back to sleep, huh? And speaking of sleep, I'm tired. I'll see you guys later tonight." Bakura yawned behind a hand and started heading out of the kitchen. "Oh, and Ryou, talk to him about the little event I told you about, okay?"

The two teens were left alone, Bakura vanishing into the next room and his footsteps faded as he went up the staircase.

"What is he talking about?" Malik was the first one to break the silence, turning slightly to look at Ryou.

"…Oh, right. Well, Bakura and I were talking, and he thought that maybe tonight we could all head out somewhere – he didn't say the location – and bond, or something. He wanted me to ask you, and then you could ask Marik if he wanted to go along. Then we could all have some time to get to know each other better and have some fun…"

"I wouldn't mind going. I never get out of the house much, unless it's to go to school. Isis and Rishid are too busy to ever take me anywhere." Malik smiled slightly. "I'll go ask Marik. I'm sure he's bored with staying cooped up all the time as well."

Ryou couldn't help but smile as he watched Malik run out of the room, his footsteps echoing slightly on the hardwood stairs as he ran up them. _Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought._

* * *

"_Kura! Kura, come on!" Ryou tugged on the tail of Bakura's trench coat, before standing on tiptoe to grab Bakura's hand. "Please, Kura?"_

"_Okay, okay." Bakura bent down, crouching low enough so that he was just slightly taller than the little boy, their eyes pretty much level._

_Ryou let go of the man's hand, and scampered around and clambered onto Bakura's back, lacing his arms around Bakura's neck, proceeding to squeal in delight as Bakura stood up._

"_Kura, you're really tall." Ryou said, a huge smile on his face, hugging Bakura's neck. "Will I get to be as tall as you when I get old?"_

"_Maybe." Bakura grinned, but it faded as he realized the other part of the comment. "Hey, wait a second. Did you just call me old?!"_

_Ryou giggled, arms tightening. "Kura, you _are_ old. Twenty-four is a big number." He dared to release one arm to touch Bakura's snowy hair. "Is the reason your hair is white because you've aged, Kura?"_

_Bakura laughed slightly at this, "Is the reason _your _hair is white because you're some old guy?" He grinned. "I didn't think so. It's just natural, Ryou. Like yours. I'm not some old grandpa, you know. I'm young, honest."_

_Ryou giggled, "Okay, Kura, whatever you say." He buried his nose into Bakura's hair. "Kura?"_

"_What?" Bakura asked, able to imagine the smile that was on Ryou's face. "And it's 'Bakura'. Think you can try calling me that?"_

"_I like calling you Kura better." Ryou giggled again, a huge smile lighting up his face. "Kura, I love you. You're the best big brother ever. The greatest." Ryou beamed, hugging Bakura around the neck._

"_Aw, how sweet." Bakura grinned. "I love you too, kid. Always remember that. No matter how you turn out, I'll always love you."_

"_Really?" Ryou's grasp tightened about Bakura's throat._

"_Yes, Ryou." Bakura chuckled slightly. "I don't have any reason to stop loving you. To _not_ love you. You're a good kid."_

Bakura felt his dreams beginning to slip apart, and he moaned softly as the world washed over him. His slumber was broken. He then proceeded to roll over onto his back, but he kept his eyes shut.

"Bakura, wake up. Come on, it's five."

Bakura recognized the voice as Ryou's. He moaned, flinging himself onto his stomach and buried his face into the pillow.

Ryou sighed. "Bakura, come on, you need to get ready. I thought you said we were heading out tonight."

Bakura's voice was barely heard, muffled by the pillow, "What did the others say?"

"Malik managed to convince Marik last night after you went to bed. Malik woke me up a few minutes ago, like you advised. So now we're waiting on you to get your butt out of bed and get ready. It's not like the rest of us know where we're heading off to, so you're going to have to lead the way."

Bakura sat up, his hair messy and tangled, and he looked half-asleep. "Okay. I'm awake." He rubbed at one eye. "Go tell the others we're going to be heading out in fifteen minutes."

Ryou watched the man roll out of bed, dragging himself through the large bedroom and out into the hall. Ryou couldn't help but smile a bit. Bakura was never fully awake first thing, and he found it a bit amusing.

Bakura closed the bathroom door behind himself, and heard Ryou's footsteps fading down the hall. The man sighed and rested his head against the doorway.

He knew that the only reason he dreamed of Ryou being little was because of what he had planned for the others; a location that they used to go together all the time.

But it had been many years either of them set foot there.

Bakura tugged off his shirt and threw it to the floor, eyes somewhat unfocused. He didn't like it when he dreamed of the past incidents with Ryou.

Because it only made his heart ache to know that those types of incidents and conversations would never happen again.

* * *

They travel had taken almost half an hour, for the four had to trek across town by foot. Luckily it was just overcast, and it hadn't started raining yet, so they didn't get wet on the way there.

And the walk hadn't been that bad. Malik had talked and joked with Marik while they went, and Bakura had a few interesting conversations with Ryou.

But despite the grin Bakura was wearing, his stomach was in knots. He didn't know what was going to happen the moment they set foot inside. After all, it had been years since they went… And he was fearful that something could go wrong.

Ryou's smile of excitement was only slightly reassuring.

"Okay." Bakura opened the door for the others, and held it. "This is it."

The other three made their way inside, and Bakura then walked in, letting the door close behind him. No one spoke for at least a minute.

"…Wow. It's so big." Malik was the first to break the silence, wearing an expression similar to that of a tourist. "I've never been to a mall before."

Bakura blinked, temporarily forgetting the tense state, "Seriously?"

"Well, I used to live in Egypt when my parents were still alive. We lived underground, and above us, was nothing but a desert. And then when we came to Japan, we couldn't really afford to go anywhere like this." Malik was grinning, before he turned to Marik. "Hey, you want to come along with me?"

Marik blinked. "Uh, I don't really know-"

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Malik grabbed Marik by the wrist, and began pulling him away from the group. "I promise you'll have a good time!"

"Don't get lost!" Bakura called. "Meet us back here in two hours, okay?"

He watched the two blondes vanish among the crowds of people.

The two albinos stood there for a moment in front of the main doors, silent. Finally, Ryou spoke up, "You're hurting, aren't you? You shouldn't have brought me here, Bakura. It was a mistake."

"I told you it would give us all some time to hang out together. Malik is already enjoying himself and we only got here two minutes ago." Bakura sighed. "But my emotions don't need to be holding the rest of you back."

"Bakura, I can tell it's killing you to be here. Your memories are only causing you pain, I can tell." Ryou turned to him. "We can go somewhere else-"

"No." Bakura's voice was firm. "No, Ryou. I want the rest of you to have fun, to enjoy yourselves. I want you to be yourself again. I want to see you smile and hear you laugh like you used to. I want things to be at least _close_ to how they used to be." Bakura's gaze fell to the shops around them. "I used to bring you here all the time when you were little. You loved it, even though you didn't really understand. You would laugh and want me to take you everywhere, as if the sky was the limit. You would have so fun, and eventually, you wore yourself out that I would have to carry you home because you were so tired. And now… I never see you happy."

"Bakura…" Ryou's voice was quiet. "You…"

"Don't worry about me, Ryou. Really. I'll be fine. I'm just too sensitive for my own good. I need to get over myself." He forced himself to smile. "Now go wherever you want. You already know I don't have an issue spending money on you."

The two started down the hall, side by side, watching the others quietly. Honestly, Ryou didn't know where he was headed. He just let his feet carry him.

Soon they were at the center court, and Ryou stopped. "Come on, I need a directory. It's been so long I don't remember where anything is."

The two made their way to the glowing sign, and Ryou bent down slightly, staring at the map. "Okay, so we're on the first floor. Let's see here…" His thin finger traced over the numbers and names. "Oh, do you want to go to Hot Topic?" Ryou grinned. "I used to be scared of that place, remember?"

"Yeah. I took you in there once and you started crying. You were five, weren't you?" Bakura asked, looking at Ryou.

"Yeah. You bought me a snow cone to try to make it better." Ryou laughed. "So, do you want to go?"

Bakura smiled. "All right." He started off with Ryou at his side.

"Bakura, thanks for taking me. I really appreciate it." Ryou smiled warmly. "It was sweet of you to bring us here."

"You're welcome." Bakura shrugged inwardly slightly, "But you know, I just thought that maybe it was time for us to start going out to different places again. I mean, when you were little, we went somewhere almost every weekend; roller-skating, to the movies, to the mall… Everywhere. But then things just kind of started drifting off…"

"Well, since you're doing all this for me and the others, I think I know how to make it up to you." Ryou made Bakura stop in tracks. "Hold still."

Bakura blinked, but did so, and gasped as he felt sudden weight. He turned slightly, seeing that Ryou had jumped onto his back. "W-What are you-"

"Come on, _Kura_, we don't have all day." Ryou smiled as he wrapped his arms about Bakura's neck, giggling.

"I'll get you for that." But Bakura merely put his arms beneath Ryou's legs, supporting him, and he started running through the corridor. He felt Ryou's arms tighten about his neck, and he felt something rise into his stomach as he heard Ryou laughing and squealing, just like he used to when he carried him.

"_Kura, Kura, can you go faster?" Ryou was giggling, his arms laced about Bakura's neck._

"_Of course I can!" Bakura increased his pace into a sprint, grinning as he raced down the corridor._

_Ryou squealed with delight, "Kura, will I be as fast as you some day?"_

"_Practice makes perfect, kid!" Bakura slid around a corner, Ryou giggling and making incoherent noises of excitement. Bakura finally made it to center court, and stopped, gasping for breath._

"_Kura? Kura why did you stop?" Ryou asked, gently tugging on a strand of Bakura's white hair._

"_I'm tired, Ryou. I need to rest for a minute."_

"_But I thought Kura doesn't _need_ to rest." Ryou frowned slightly. "Kura is too strong. He doesn't need rest, does he?"_

"_Sometimes, I do, Ryou." Bakura crouched down, and Ryou proceeded to clamber down from the man's back. Bakura smiled, taking Ryou by the hand and leading him towards a bench. "Come on. You can sit down with me."_

"_Kura?" Ryou asked, one hand snug in Bakura's. He used his free one to tug on the tail of Bakura's black, leather coat. When Bakura didn't say anything, he proceeded to tug on the leg of Bakura's jeans, "Kura."_

"_What is it?" Bakura finally made it to the bench, and sat down. He wrapped his arms about Ryou's tiny body and lifted him up, before placing him in his lap._

"_Kura, is the reason you have those muscle things because you run a lot?" Ryou asked innocently._

"_Hmm?" Bakura blinked. "Oh, well, it's not just running. I'm sure you've seen the weights in the basement."_

"_They're heavy." Ryou pouted slightly. "How come I can't pick them up but you can, Kura?"_

"_I already told you." Bakura smiled, brushing a bang from Ryou's eyes. "Practice makes perfect."_

The other shoppers just shook their heads at the two, who were flying down the hall, one supporting the other, screaming and laughing. And most of them just put it down that it was because they were a set of crazy teenagers.

-

"I think you'd look good in it!" Malik pouted slightly as he lowered the black jacket. "Come on, you haven't found one thing you've liked so far."

Marik didn't answer.

Malik frowned, putting the leather coat back on the rack. He then sighed, and grabbed Marik by the arm, leading him out of the shop and through the mall.

Finally, Malik stopped, the two pulled out of the way of the other shoppers in a corner. "Marik, I thought you would actually be having fun by coming here, but you don't seem to be enjoying yourself at all…"

"Shopping is a waste of time. It's stupid." Marik raised his gaze to the ceiling, which was far above the pair. "And boring."

"…Oh." It was all he could say.

Marik blinked, looking at Malik, who looked crestfallen, the blonde teen staring at the scuffed white tiles, "…I… I was actually hoping that if I was having a good time, then I would somehow convince you that things weren't that bad. That it could actually be fun." Malik squeezed his eyes shut, "B-But now I know better than to think that."

"Malik…" Marik reached out, trying to touch the boy, but Malik jerked away, slumped against the wall.

"Don't touch me. Please, just don't." Malik sniffed slightly, his head turned slightly, watching the floor.

"Malik, I'm sorry-"

"I'm the one who's sorry." Malik tensed up slightly, "I was stupid enough to think that way; that just because I would enjoy myself that I could make the others around me feel the same way. But it's not like that. Everyone is different." Malik's vision blurred slightly. "I'm sorry. I pushed you into this. I shouldn't have made you come along, but I just couldn't help it. I couldn't leave you at home by yourself while the rest of us went out to have fun. And… And I didn't want to be by myself, either. T-Taking you with me meant I could have someone to talk to… But I was wrong. I put myself first and forced you into a decision. I deserve this."

"Malik, I…" Marik reached out, a tanned hand curling about Malik's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I really am."

Malik choked slightly, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please, just stop touching me. I don't…" Malik opened his eyes, a few tears escaping, "I don't want to be touched."

"…All right." Marik dropped his hand, unsure of what to do. He just stood there, watching Malik tremble, his back pressed against the wall. The teen choked a few times on his tears, straining not to cry. Finally Malik composed himself, and he slumped against the wall, sniffling weakly. "…Do you want me to get you a drink?"

Malik didn't answer, not meeting his gaze.

"Come on." Marik grabbed Malik by the wrist, and began leading the teenager through the crowds and halls, not saying anything else.

Malik sniffed, lowering his eyes to the scratched tiling.

Soon Marik had led him into the food court, the man dragging him past crowds and around tables.

Malik wasn't really listening to Marik speak, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. It was only when Marik shook his shoulder did he snap out of pondering.

"Here." Marik was holding a medium sized drink and a box of Chinese cuisine in his arms, his tattered, worn wallet between his teeth.

Malik slowly took the drink from Marik's hands, "Y-You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." Holding the box in one hand, he took his worn black wallet into his free hand before putting it away. "Besides, you haven't eaten since this morning. I'm sure you're hungry."

Malik just stared at his feet.

"Come on. We need a table." Marik took Malik by the wrist and led him to the small black seats, and he then proceeded to sit, Malik across from him.

"Thank you." Malik accepted the white box pushed at him, and opened it, unable to help but smile at the food.

"Don't mention it," Marik muttered, holding his head in one hand again.

"No, really, thanks." Malik smiled slightly. "Thanks for not pushing me away when I had that outburst. A lot of people tend to just get tired of the behavior and just walk away or get angry-"

"You were rightfully upset." Marik shrugged. "It wasn't your fault. It wouldn't be fair to just shove you away when your emotions begin kicking in."

Malik's fingers tightened upon his chopsticks, "That happens sometimes. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Rishid… He told me once… That I'm emotional, just like mother was."

Marik blinked, violet eyes a bit wider as Malik began to sniff again, "H-Hey, don't start crying again-"

"I'm not." Malik rubbed at one eye. "I'm sorry, Marik, it's just…"

"You can't help but feel upset when you think of them. I know. I feel the same way." Marik's gaze lowered to the tabletop, "But the pain will eventually lessen more and more. You'll be able to think of them without so much pain."

"It's been sixteen years. I didn't even know her." Malik gritted his teeth. "I don't even see why it upsets me-"

"She was the reason you even came into the world." Marik interrupted, leaning forward, "You long for a mother, and it hurts to know that yours was taken away before you even got to know her. That's why."

"Why are you such an expert on this?"

"You said it to me yourself; I guess I'm like you in a way." Marik grinned slightly. "Remember?"

Malik couldn't help but smile back, but he said nothing, merely nodding before continuing to eat.

* * *

Chapter 23: End.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews, my dear readers! :D I love you guys so much. :3

* * *

Bakura was exhausted. He sank deeper into the bench, still panting from running so much. It took a lot out of him. Despite his athletic state, running that fast so quickly really wore him down, and Ryou only added extra weight.

"You okay?" Ryou asked, seated next to him.

"Yeah, just tired." Bakura tipped his head back, finally managing to catch his breath. "Nn, it's been forever since we've done that. My back is already feeling it."

"You know you didn't have to carry me-"

"I didn't think much about it." Bakura shrugged slightly, arms draped across the back of the bench. "I just went with it. You seemed so excited and everything, and it made me feel the same way. I mean… Seeing you laughing and smiling again made me happy as well, and of course, having a few moments like the ones from the past isn't that bad either."

Ryou smiled warmly, "You're so sweet. You're always thinking about me, wanting me to be happy again." His hands clenched slightly in his lap. "A-And… It really does make you feel that way when I smile? When I laugh? It really makes you that happy, Bakura?"

"Of course." Bakura straightened up, looking Ryou fully in the face. "I love it when you smile or when you laugh. It's like you're lighting up the whole world, Ryou, and it makes me so happy to see you like that." Bakura smiled, his fangs slightly noticeable due to him beaming. "I can't help it. I mean, I've raised you since you were about five. I grew so attached to you, Ryou, that I felt like I was your actual parent sometimes; that I was your real brother. And I watched you grow, getting older, watching you slowly change. But my feelings never changed. I loved you just as much, or maybe even more as the years went by. I couldn't help but grow closer to you. Seeing you happy made me feel the same way. It always had, and it still does. That's one thing that will never change, Ryou."

Ryou just stared into Bakura's crimson eyes, which had that glint in them, which always came up when Bakura was happy. "Bakura…"

Bakura blinked as Ryou's chin trembled, tears glittering in the boy's chocolate eyes. Bakura sighed and extended his arms, before wrapping them about Ryou's body and pulled the boy closer.

Ryou sniffed weakly, his head resting against Bakura's shoulder, Bakura's warm arms draped across his back in a warm embrace. "Thank you." Ryou's voice was slightly muffled due to his face being mostly buried in Bakura's shirt, but he knew Bakura could understand. "Thank you so _much_."

Bakura grinned, but he said nothing, his smile telling it all.

-

"So, now what?" His voice came out flatly.

"I'm not really sure." Malik frowned inwardly at Marik's tone, "But I've noticed something. You've been talking in a monotone for quite a while. Is something bugging you?"

"…I don't intend on drawing attention to myself. That's all."

Malik's frown deepened slightly. Marik refused to meet his gaze, instead staring at the scuffed flooring beneath them as they walked. "Don't lie to me."

"What do you mean?" He finally looked up to stare Malik in the face.

"I know you're hiding something from me. Ever since we got into that conversation at the food court about my mother-" Malik cut himself off as Marik suddenly looked away, realizing what the issue was. "_Oh_."

"It's nothing, okay? Just stop worrying about me. It's none of your business." Marik shoved his hands in the pockets of his black jeans, nearly glaring at the floor.

"I worry because I care about you." Malik touched Marik's arm, the skin hidden by his black jacket. "Come on, can't you-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Marik snapped, jerking his arm away. "Just stop. I already told you not to worry about it, so don't. Just quit pushing at it."

"Marik, please. I _want_ you to speak up. It's bothering me to see you like this… Can't you just tell me about it? It'll make you feel better, I promise…" He reached out again, gently curling a hand about Marik's arm. "Please?"

"No, it won't. You already know they died. What more do you want to know? There's nothing else to share. I spent my childhood around Bakura, not them, so there aren't any stories."

"Marik…" Malik's grip tightened on the man's arm. "Marik, _please_-"

"Stop it!" Marik screamed, snapping free of Malik's grip. "Just stop! Quit _touching_ me! I already _told_ you to stop butting in, and I _meant_ it! Just knock it off!"

"I only want to help." Malik's voice had trailed into a whisper, gaze fixed on his shoes. "I'm just worried. But you're right; it's none of my business… I'm sorry."

Marik dared to glance at Malik, and the second he did, he felt a flutter of guilt in his stomach. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his wild hair, "Don't be. I'm the one who's sorry." He raised his eyes to the ceiling, "Look. It's just… I've never been around people who actually have any concern for me."

"What do you mean?" Malik asked softly.

"I've only been around liars and deceivers… They only used me and then threw me into the dirt, walking all over me. I was never like Bakura. If someone said anything about him, he would stick a fist into their face. He was always the stronger one, the leader; I merely followed, too weak to stick up for myself the way he did. And because of that, I was used and betrayed. I learned it the hard way. I had things thrown back in my face, the friendship I offered ripped into pieces before me. I then tried to separate myself from people, in fear that I would only experience more lies and disappointment. I built walls around myself, caging my emotions. And now that someone is actually trying to be a figure of concern, the shadow of a friend, I just can't accept it like I should. I've been held away for so long, stuck behind those walls, that I haven't been the same. I can't offer the same friendship, the same emotions… I've changed. It's so _hard_ to get used to this… To get used to someone like _you_ being around _me_… It just seems unreal, like a messed up dream."

Malik's lavender eyes softened, "Marik…"

"I just don't know what to do." Marik's voice became muffled as he buried his face in his hands, saline water dripping from his violet eyes, his body trembling as he cried quietly.

"Come on." Malik gently grabbed Marik's arm, and began to pull him out of the middle of the corridor. He could feel others staring at him, mainly because of full-grown man sobbing uncontrollably, merely being led along by a teenager. _Mind your own business._

Malik eventually made it to the bathroom, and pulled Marik in after him. Luckily the room was empty, so the two could have some privacy during their conversation.

"Hey… Everything is going to be okay, I promise." Malik released his grip on Marik's arm, the vampire sobbing into his tanned hands. "Come on, Marik, don't cry."

Marik sniffed, dropping his hands, his face stained with tears, violet eyes red-rimmed. He weakly fell against the counter of the bathroom, his knees feeling unsteady. He hunched over, head bowed, hovering over the empty sink.

Malik went forward, but stopped as he noticed the large mirror above the sink. He could see himself, his worried, lavender eyes reflecting in the glass. But Marik could not be seen.

Malik tore his eyes away and went forward, almost hesitantly putting a hand on Marik's back. "Come on, I already said it was going to be all right. I'm here. You can tell me anything, Marik. You should already know I'm not going to betray you. I only want to help…"

Marik sniffed again, rubbing at his violet eyes with the inside of his wrist, not meeting Malik's gaze. "Y-You promise?"

"Yes. I promise." Malik smiled slightly, patting Marik's tense back.

Marik bit his lip, abnormally long canines pricking the skin. "W-Well… I told you that my parents died… In the same fire that took Bakura's, actually…" He swallowed thickly. "A-And ever since then… I've been alone. L-Like you, I think I just long for someone to understand… I just want them to come back, but I know that won't happen…" He closed his eyes. "I-I miss them. A-And they always told me that real friends would never hurt me. A-And sometimes I'll be sitting by myself, and I'll just think of that, remembering how when they were still around, Bakura and I would get along just fine. But then everything fell apart before me, and that path of being used started…"

"…You miss being friends with Bakura, too, I can see." Malik said quietly, more to himself, however.

"I do." Marik tensed. "I keep telling myself that I don't, that I hate him, but it's all lies. I do miss him being my friend; he used to stick up for me all the time, protecting me… He usually got himself beat up in my place… And now… We're beating _each other_ up." Marik's voice broke, and his knees went out, the man sinking to the tiled bathroom floor, tears once more spilling from his violet eyes.

Malik crouched down, doing his best to comfort him.

"…_I'm sorry. I got you hurt again." Marik's voice came quietly, just above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Bakura, I should've-"_

"_Oh, shut up," Bakura muttered. "I did it for you, stupid. Quit apologizing."_

"…_Then how can I make it up to you?" Marik asked softly, Bakura's right arm draped over his shoulder, the albino weakly staggering along on trembling legs._

"_Help me clean myself up," Bakura said, his expression twisted with pain._

"_Okay." Marik was struggling to hold Bakura up, having to support nearly all of the boy's weight for him. The small albino was struggling to walk, his body tense with pain._

_Finally, they made it to the first-floor bathroom of the abode. Marik helped Bakura inside, making sure to close the door after the entrance._

_Bakura took his arm from Marik's shoulders, wincing in pain, before sinking onto the floor, letting his head rest against the cabinets as he spread his legs out before him. "Marik, it _really_ hurts," he whispered._

"_Hold on." Marik was digging through the cabinets, before extracting a container of peroxide, a roll of bandages, a package of band-aids, and a small bowl._

_Bakura watched Marik silently, his entire body throbbing with pain. Marik began to pour the peroxide into the bowl, letting the bandages soak. While they did so, Marik took up the small box of band-aids in one tanned hand. "I'm gonna have to move your hair, Bakura."_

"_Go ahead." Bakura's voice was quiet, yet laced with pain. He clamped his eyes shut as Marik reached out, brushing away Bakura's mane of snowy hair, before freezing, unable to move, staring. Bakura's neck was covered with bruises, noticeably in the shape of a hand; the marks were heaviest near the fingertips. "…They left prints behind, didn't they?" Bakura asked softly._

"_Yeah." Marik opened the box, beginning to peel back the paper-like cover, and began to stick them over the bruises. "I'm still sorry, Bakura. I hate it when I get you hurt like this…"_

"_It's because I'm your friend," Bakura murmured, opening his eyes, his crimson ones locking with Marik's as the blonde sat back on his rear, finishing covering the bruises up. "I couldn't just sit back and watch them push you around like that, even if it does mean I get in a fight."_

"_But Bakura… I know you're good at fighting back, but they were well over four years older than us. You were obviously at a disadvantage-"_

"_So?" Bakura snorted, pulling at his hair, which fell back to cover the band-aids that were across the side of his neck. "You of all people should know that no one gets to shove me around, no matter who it is or how old they are. Besides, even if I did get beat up, it doesn't matter. I showed them who the boss was." Bakura grinned, just slightly. "You saw what happened in the end."_

"_You wound up breaking the one guy's nose and fractured the other one's wrist," Marik answered numbly. "But Bakura, look what happened to you to get-"_

"_Humph, I told you, it doesn't matter if I get hurt, as long as I win in the end." Bakura eyed the bowl of peroxide. "Are the bandages done yet?"_

"_They should be." Marik pulled the bowl closer, extracting a dripping bandage. "Okay, hold still."_

_Bakura did so, motionless, as Marik took his right arm, which was littered with large, bloody cuts and bruises. He winced as the alcohol met his skin, and he flinched, just slightly. "Nn… It stings."_

"_Yeah, it's going to. I would just bandage them like usual, but we have to disinfect the cuts first." Marik wrapped the white bandage along Bakura's arm, until he reached the boy's elbow. He then proceeded to tie the bandage, letting Bakura's arm fall, before taking the other one, grimacing slightly at the thick, deep slices and dark, nasty bruises. He then began to bandage that arm as well._

_When he was finished, Marik let the arm fall, and Bakura examined the wraps, his nose wrinkling in a snarl. "Ugh, it's going to take a while for these to go away." He grabbed hold of the counter, struggling to pull himself up, his legs shaking._

_He let out a cry as pain gushed through his thigh, and his knees buckled, before he collapsed onto the bathroom floor, shaking with agony._

"_Bakura, are you okay?" Marik helped him into an upright position. "What's the matter?"_

"_I forgot about my leg." Bakura was shaking, tears glittering in his crimson orbs. "Nn… That _really_ hurt… I wish you had reminded me that I'm not supposed to be putting any weight on it…"_

"_I thought you already knew!" Marik protested, before he sighed. "Come on, I'll take care of it. You'll have to take off your jeans, though, so that I can see it."_

"_Yeah, I know." Bakura began unbuttoning the said clothing, before tugging them off, sitting in his boxers on the floor._

"_Oh…" Marik's eyes widened at the large stab wound upon Bakura's thigh, which was still bleeding. "D-Doesn't that hurt?"_

"_Yeah. It went numb not too long ago, put now that I put my weight back on it, I think I reopened it, because it started bleeding all over again…" Bakura was stiff with pain, his head tilted back._

"_Well, I hate to say it, but it's only going to hurt worse." Marik reached into the bowl, taking out the final bandage. "You ready?"_

"_Yeah." Bakura slid his leg up slightly, bracing himself. He kept his eyes averted, not wanting to watch Marik work._

_Marik flinched as Bakura screamed; the alcohol hitting the bloody wound obviously set a horrible fire of pain inside the albino's body. He hurriedly tied the rest of the bandage about his friend's leg, before settling back._

_Bakura whimpered, tears glistening in his wine-colored eyes. It hurt so _badly_._

"_You okay?" Marik asked softly, unable to take his eyes off the trembling boy._

"_I-I think," Bakura stammered, shaking, tears of pain pulsing in the back of his eyes. "B-But it hurts, Marik…" He sucked in a shaky breath, "Nn, I should've hit them harder. It's not fair that the leader had a pocketknife…"_

"_You're right. But they were in a gang, Bakura. Of course they didn't play fair…" Marik sighed. "Thank you so much."_

"_For what?" Bakura asked, teeth gritted, as he tried to get up. He couldn't, however, so he just fell against the cabinets._

"_For protecting me. You always save me. You know I can't fight or stick up for myself, to you help me. You throw yourself out, sticking up for the two of us… And you get in a fight every single time." Marik's gaze lowered to the floor. "I wish I was as strong as you. At least then you wouldn't always be getting punched and beat up just for my sake-"_

"_What else are friends for, Marik? It's not like I care. I don't mind getting in those fights, because I have a reason to. And that reason is not only to protect you, but to show the others what we're made of." Bakura forced himself to grin, despite his throbbing body. "Okay?"_

"_O-Okay," he said, daring to raise his gaze, blinking as he noticed Bakura's face. "O-Oh, I missed one-"_

"_Don't worry about it." Bakura put his palm over the sickeningly large bruise that covered the left portion of his jaw. "It's not like a band-aid is going to cover it," he joked, grinning just slightly. "I'll be fine. Thanks for helping me."_

"_Of course." Marik gathered up the materials, setting them on the countertop, before offering Bakura one hand._

_Bakura took it, balancing dangerously on one leg, using Marik for support. "You know, you're gonna have to teach me all this medical stuff. That's one thing that makes us different and yet squeezes us together, you know."_

"_What do you mean?" Marik asked, holding onto Bakura as the boy bent down, his injured leg still not touching the floor._

"_Well…" Bakura snagged his jeans in his free hand, before straightening. "I may be able to fight, but I can't really doctor my injuries, and it's the opposite for you. So without each other, we'd be in real trouble."_

"_I guess so." Marik stood perfectly still as Bakura clung to him, trying to keep himself balanced on one leg. "Do you need some help? I can carry you-"_

"_Heh, I'm not that weak." Bakura hopped forward, his wounded leg curved out behind him. "I just have to go slower than usual, that's all." He hopped again, still using Marik for support. "You don't mind, do you?"_

"_Of course not." Marik grinned slightly. "Go as slow as you want."_

_Bakura gave him a playful smack on the arm, "It's not like I'm going at a snail's pace." He chuckled slightly, jumping forward, "But I will if you don't shush."_

"I just want to be friends with him again," Marik whispered, slumped on the floor of the bathroom, almost completely oblivious to Malik trying to comfort him.

-

"I'm sorry, Bakura, I didn't mean to start crying like that…"

"I just touched your heart, was all?" Bakura smiled. "I didn't mean to make you cry, but it was all true. Every single bit of that was."

"I know, and you had no idea how much it meant to me when you said all those things." Ryou lifted his head, staring into Bakura's crimson eyes, which held that same glitter of happiness in them once more. "Thank you."

"Of course." Bakura smiled warmly, ruffling Ryou's snowy hair with one hand, before pulling away, but stared into Ryou's eyes. "Ryou, can I ask you something?"

"Anything." Ryou smiled widely.

"Do you love me?" Bakura asked without emotion, the grin gone from his face, completely serious.

Ryou frowned, just slightly. "Of course I love you… Well, in a brotherly type of way, I guess. I mean… You've always been there for me, always supportive… Despite your exterior, you're very sweet and loving, Bakura. And there's no way I wouldn't be able to love you back after all that's happened and how many years we've spent together… I hate to see you hurting, and I love it when you smile. I think I feel the same way about you that you do about me," Ryou said gently, smiling, his pale face alit in a blush. "I… I don't _ever_ regret meeting you, Bakura. You've made me so very happy…"

"…I'm glad." Bakura's lips curved into a smile, and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms about Ryou's waist, easily hefting him off the ground.

"H-Hey!" Ryou kicked slightly, "Bakura, don't-"

"Oh, calm down." Bakura was still smiling, and holding Ryou about the waist, he began to spin in a circle, feeling his heart lifting higher and higher each second as Ryou laughed.

"_Kura, how come you're never sleepy?" Ryou asked as Bakura led him up the stairs, one small hand snug in Bakura's._

"_Well, I get that way sometimes, but I usually get tired during the day instead of at night." Bakura shrugged inwardly. "I just sleep at different times than you."_

"_How come I'm not like that, Kura?" Ryou looked up to stare at Bakura, chocolate eyes wide._

"_Well…" Bakura bent down, easily scooping Ryou up into his arms, who giggled at the action. "I guess everyone is different."_

_Ryou smiled, resting his forehead against Bakura's collarbone. He didn't really know why, but he liked it when Bakura carried him. Bakura… He always made him feel safe and secure… And loved._

_Soon they had made it into the child's bedroom._

"_Let's get you to bed," Bakura said as he held Ryou in one arm, who was already changed into his pajamas. Using his free hand, he pulled the covers back._

_Bakura shifted, his arms instead going about Ryou's tiny waist, and he held the child there gently but firmly, and began to spin in a small circle._

_Ryou clung to Bakura's shirt, laughing, and looked up at the man when he stopped. "Kura, how come you always do that?"_

"_Because I like to hear you laugh." Bakura smiled warmly, before gently setting Ryou down on the mattress._

"_Really?" Ryou beamed, his chocolate eyes even wider than before._

"_Yes, really." Bakura chuckled, ruffling Ryou's hair. "Good night, Ryou. I love you, very much."_

"_I love you too, Kura." Ryou smiled, reaching up with slender, short arms._

_Bakura sighed and grinned, bending down, where Ryou proceeded to hug him the best he could, unable to wrap his small arms completely about Bakura's middle._

_Bakura pulled away, patting Ryou on the head lightly. "Good night, Ryou." He took the blankets in one hand, successful pulling them all up and over Ryou's body in one move._

_Ryou snuggled beneath the blankets, hugging the pillow slightly. He watched in the slight darkness as Bakura began heading towards the door, "Kura?"_

"_Yes?" Bakura stopped in the doorway, turning to look the boy in the face._

"_Kura… Thanks for always loving me. You're the best big brother ever." Ryou smiled, "I love you, Kura. Very much. I don't know what I'd do without you, Kura."_

"_Well don't think too much into it," Bakura joked, grinning. "I'll never leave you, Ryou, so you'll never have to find out, okay? Good night. I'll see you in the morning, all right?"_

"_Okay. 'Night, Kura." Ryou smiled as the door clicked shut, and he sighed as he snuggled under the blankets, letting his eyes slip shut as his head hit the pillow._

* * *

Chapter 24: End.


	25. Chapter 25

"Ugh, I hate the rain." Bakura tugged off his now muddy black boots before throwing them to the floor, proceeding to strip himself of his dripping wet leather trench coat, and hanging it upon the hook.

"Oh, calm down." Ryou took off his shoes as well, before hanging his coat up next to Bakura's. "It could've been worse. Don't be so negative."

"Whatever." Bakura shook his head vigorously, sending water everywhere, almost like a dog. "Nn, I need to change… I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

Bakura then proceeded to run up the stairs, mumbling complaints about his soaked clothes.

Ryou was left alone in the living room. He smiled, just slightly, before heading over to the couch to sit down, setting the two shopping bags down at his feet. He could hear Malik talking to Marik in the kitchen…

_It was nice to actually see Malik so happy for once… I wonder how Marik did… He doesn't seem like the type to go out shopping or anything… Maybe it was his first time going there too?_

"You seem troubled." Bakura's voice broke Ryou out of his thoughts. The vampire padded down the remaining three steps of the stairs, and walked across the room, plopping down next to Ryou on the couch. "What's on your mind, Ryou?"

"Nothing much, actually… I was just thinking about today, and, well…" Ryou looked up at Bakura, who had changed out of his wet clothing and into his pajamas. "I was just wondering… Has Marik ever been to a mall before?"

"Not that I know of." Bakura raised his eyes heavenward for a moment, chewing softly on his bottom lip. "We never went there together, and I doubt he went there on his own… So maybe this was his first time as well, but he sure didn't seem too excited when we got there."

"He doesn't really like to show much emotion, does he?"

"No." Bakura sighed softly, folding his arms over his chest as he sank into the cushions. "And he used to be such an emotional kid… I think he's changed the most, actually… He never used to be this way…"

"Bakura… Do you ever miss being friends with him?" Ryou was hoping things wouldn't turn ugly by him asking, but he needed to know. "I know you hate him to the bone now, and you can't stand to even be near him… But do you ever wish you could start over? To rewind it all and play it back to when things were still peaceful?"

"Every day." Bakura sighed heavily, lowering his head onto his knees, which were drawn up to his chest. "Ryou, you have no idea how much it hurts. Sometimes I just wish that things would just stop, and that I could go back to when I had happier times. But I know I can't do that… And sometimes, my heart feels so heavy that I can't move." Bakura closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Ryou. "It hurts so much. You have no idea of how much pain I've had to deal with prior to meeting you, Ryou… Even now, things are still rough. Sometimes I think the only thing that actually keeps me going is you. You're all I really have, Ryou…"

"Bakura…" Ryou swallowed, "Bakura, I don't understand… What kind of pain?"

"I used to get beat up a lot, in Marik's place. I protected him…" Bakura swallowed hard, "And then… I lost my parents to that fire, watching them burn… After that… I had nowhere to go, no one to go to… I wandered the streets, which soon became my home. The winters were the cruelest, and the summers were brutal… Even after I managed to get this place, I wasn't happy… I often got into fistfights and arguments, even a few shootouts… Slayers tracked me down, so I was often getting into fights for my life…" Bakura opened his eyes, staring down at his bare feet, "…When I met you… At first, I was wary. I knew I couldn't take care of a child the way a parent is supposed to do, but I couldn't just throw you out on the streets to become like me… It was hard, but you grew on me, Ryou… I tried to do my best, to make you the happiest you could possibly be… And you healed me, somewhat. You were the reason I could continue to hang on…

"But even then, things weren't the best… When you came along, I… I began to steal a lot." Bakura found that he couldn't look Ryou in the face anymore, his voice quiet. "I rarely stole from the innocent before I met you… I took from the Slayers and other people I got into fights with, using the money to pay for the bills… But when I took you in with me… I started stealing from anyone I could get my hands on. I didn't have any other way to take care of you… Not only did the bills go up, but I had to spend more money to take care of you. It's not like it was your fault or anything… You needed to be fed, deserving to have new things… But I just couldn't afford it. I couldn't leave you alone at night to go to a job or anything, and getting a day shift would be impossible… I didn't…have any other choice…"

"Bakura…" Ryou didn't know what to say. He blinked as Bakura suddenly lowered his knees, before pushing himself off the couch, beginning to take to the stairs. "Bakura, where are you going?"

Ryou leapt to his feet, trailing the man as he began to climb the steps. Ryou quickly grabbed hold of Bakura's arm, holding him back, "Bakura…"

"Ryou… Let me go." Bakura didn't pull against Ryou's grasp, merely standing still. His voice was strangely flat, void of emotion. "Please, just stop. I want to be alone for a while, okay?"

Bakura slipped his arm out of Ryou's grip then, not meeting the teen's gaze, and proceeded to make his way up the remainder of the stairs, vanishing as he began to head in the direction of his bedroom.

"Ryou? Are… Are you okay?"

Ryou turned from his place on the stairs, finding himself staring down at Malik, who was standing in the doorway of the living room.

"…I'm fine." Ryou kept his gaze fixed on the steps beneath him, "…It's nothing, really… I'll be okay."

"Ryou, I don't know exactly what happened, but I know something you two talked about really got to you… You just look upset…"

"…I think it's my fault." Ryou wrapped his arms about his middle as he began to head back down the stairs and into the living room. "I… I was the one who brought it all up…"

"Brought what up?" Malik asked as the two sat down on the sofa. He frowned when Ryou didn't answer. "Ryou, really, what happened?"

Ryou curled up in one corner of the couch, pulling his knees up to his chest. "We just kind of got into a conversation about Marik, and I asked Bakura if he ever wished to start over…" Ryou moaned, burying his face into his hands. "It's all my fault. He started telling me all these things and about how he feels… And now I think I've awoken his memories, because he seemed really upset… Ugh, I'm such an idiot… Why can't I just keep my mouth shut? It wasn't like it was any of my business… If I hadn't brought it up, none of that would've happened-"

"Ryou, calm down. You didn't know it was going to lead to that… Don't be so hard on yourself." Malik sighed softly, before trying to look into Ryou's eyes, but it was an impossible task, for the teen's gaze remained lowered. "Ryou… You guys are going to hit some bumps along the way… But you just have to keep going, you know?"

Ryou didn't answer.

"Ryou… Maybe you should just try to go talk to him about it. I mean, it may not be the easiest thing, but it's a start, right?"

-

Bakura's hands stilled on the photograph, his long, thin fingers holding it firmly but gently, the man not wanting to cause the precious picture any damage. _I shouldn't have told him that. I shouldn't have said anything about it… My issues are nothing he should have to worry about; the kid has enough stress on him already… Ugh, I should've just kept quiet…_

He stared back down at the photo in his hands, and sighed softly, but he just couldn't look away from the snapshot. It was the first picture of Ryou he ever took. The five-year-old child was standing at the window, pointing towards the moon with one thin finger, his free hand curled over the windowsill. He was looking at the camera, one of those rare, enormous, happy-go-lucky smiles upon his perfect face…

Bakura jumped slightly as someone knocked upon his door, but he didn't look up to see who it was as the door swung open.

Ryou stood in the doorway, slender hands curled about the silver handle. He didn't say anything at first, but when Bakura refused to speak or look at him, he forced himself to say something. "Bakura… Can I talk to you?"

Strangely, the older vampire remained silent and unmoving, almost as if he didn't notice Ryou was there.

"Bakura…" Ryou closed the door, padding across the room, his socks not making a sound on the flooring. He made it over to the man, who remained still, sitting cross-legged upon his bed. "Bakura, please… I just want to talk…"

"…About what?" Bakura finally spoke, but he did not lift his gaze to look Ryou in the face.

"About what happened earlier." Ryou sighed, before sitting down on the bed in front of Bakura. "I just… I just need to talk to you about it."

"There's not really much to talk about." Bakura let one thin finger trail over the photo in his hand, "I told you all the basics already. Besides, I don't want you to worry about me-"

"Bakura, I'm just concerned. You… You've seemed really stressed lately, and upset as well… I just wanted to make sure you're all right…" Ryou softly bit his lip, sharp canines pricking the skin slightly. "I can tell you're in pain, Bakura, and I don't like to see you this way…"

"…I don't intend on making you worry. I don't like to see you getting yourself stressed out on issues that aren't even yours... That's why I didn't tell you." Bakura's fingers slightly tightened on the picture he couldn't look up from, "I just need to get over it. We're doing fine now, so it doesn't really-"

"Bakura, don't you dare say it doesn't matter. If it didn't, why would I even be concerned or trying to help you?" Ryou reached out, trying to move Bakura's face so that the man would look at him. To his surprise, Bakura did nothing to object, not even flinching. Ryou proceeded to tilt the man's head up, just enough so that their eyes locked. "Bakura, please, I only want to help you."

Bakura averted his gaze, although his head remained titled upwards. "Ryou… It just hurts. That's the only thing wrong with me. I'm too sensitive. Being around Marik, seeing you do certain things, going certain places… It just restores the memories to the surface and I can feel the scars tearing back open." Bakura sighed softly, closing his eyes. "I just need to learn to suck it up and get over myself-"

"Bakura, you can't always do that… Sometimes you need help. That's why I'm here… I just want to help you feel better." Ryou removed his hand, "Do you think talking about it would help any?"

Bakura reopened his crimson eyes, which fell onto the picture still held in his pale hands. "…Ryou… There's too much for me to tell. We'd be in here all night if I tried to tell every reason, every story… And you already know the bases of the feelings, so I doubt talking about it would get us anywhere… But…"

Ryou blinked as Bakura suddenly fell silent. "But what?"

"…It… It does make me feel better to know you want to help, you know. Really. Knowing that you're still the same old Ryou… It really does make me feel different… Because seeing you like this… It just lets me know that not everything in my life was a failure. You still keep me going, Ryou, and sometimes, I think you're the _only _thing that keeps me going… You _and_ your love, Ryou, because I don't have anyone else…"

Bakura swallowed, letting the picture fall into his lap. He leaned forward, brushing Ryou's hair away with bony fingers, before his clawed hands latched onto Ryou's slender arms.

He was sure Ryou knew what was happening, but he didn't understand why Ryou wasn't protesting… He paused for a moment, wanting the boy's permission. Ryou nodded, just slightly, and Bakura proceeded to bare his fangs before roughly biting into the teenager's neck.

* * *

Bakura tried to remove his fangs as painlessly as possible, but he heard Ryou cry out when he did so. He eyed the wound, which was still dripping blood, and he proceeded to lick over the deep bites, hearing Ryou whimper slightly.

When he finished, he leaned back, a little surprised when Ryou practically collapsed against his chest, the smaller albino breathing quite heavily.

"Kura…" Ryou's voice came out in a weak whisper. He was so drained… He was currently in Bakura's arms, leaning against the man, too faint to hold himself up.

Bakura licked his blood-stained lips, "Ryou, you should've stopped me-"

Ryou shook his head weakly. He knew Bakura was hurting, and he also was aware that blood could calm a vampire down… Not only that, but he was positive Bakura was starving; the older of the two vampires hadn't taken in blood in almost two days. So he had just sat still during the feeding process, letting Bakura drink as much as he wanted…

"Yes, you should've. I took too much from you, Ryou… Look at yourself… You can't even sit up by yourself…" Bakura ruffled Ryou's hair slightly. "I'm sorry…"

"'S okay…" Ryou's voice was slightly muffled, due to Bakura's shirt. "Kura… I'm cold… Really cold…"

"I really did take too much out of you." Bakura murmured as he pulled Ryou closer, wrapping his arms about the slightly trembling teenager. "I'm sorry, Ryou, I should've controlled myself…"

Bakura wrapped his arms about Ryou, before scooting closer to the edge of the bed. He proceeded to get up, heaving Ryou in his arms as well.

"Kura… Stop…" Ryou felt dizzy. The man carrying him only made his already wobbly vision spiral out of control even more…

"I can't. You need to get some blood before you get out of control. Do you think you could take some from Malik?" Bakura knew that fresh blood was much better than the blood bottles…

Ryou shook his head. He didn't want to put pressure on Malik; it wasn't fair that he should have to sacrifice himself every time.

"Ugh, okay, let's get you a blood bottle before you flip out. Trust me, Ryou, when you're like this, with such a low blood level, you could go into an uncontrollable frenzy at any time… Agh, I wish you would've held me back… I shouldn't have been so stupid…"

"You're not…" Ryou rested his head against Bakura's chest. The older vampire felt warm to him, mainly due to his entire body feeling freezing cold… "Kura…" He tried to move closer to Bakura in a desperate attempt to get more of the man's warmth, but it was hard to even move… "Kura, it's so cold…"

"I know." Bakura hurried towards the bathroom, making it inside before setting Ryou down on the bathroom mat. He then crossed the room to rummage through the cabinets, hoping that one bottle would be enough.

-

Marik was silent, watching Malik from his place across from him at the kitchen table. When they got home, Malik said he needed to call home again to let the others know where he was. He proceeded to do so, but Marik knew something was wrong… His voice had changed, and so had his expression, and he kept curling the phone cord around one thin finger…

"N-No… It's okay, Rishid, don't wake her up…" There was a pause. "Y-Yes, I enjoyed myself… O-Okay… Y-Yeah, I'll be home at noon tomorrow, I promise. O-Okay, I'll see you guys then. Bye, Rishid…"

Marik watched the boy hang up, before finally asking, "What happened?"

Malik dropped the phone onto the table, burying his face into his hands, moaning, but he didn't answer.

"Malik, what's going on?" Marik's voice hardened slightly; a signal that he wanted to really know what was happening.

"…I-Isis is really sick, a-and Rishid can't take care of her because he's working two different shifts at work…" Malik lifted his head, "A-And Rishid has been hearing some rumors that Social Services has been snooping around-"

"Well, they're just rumors… That means they have no base, nothing to worry about, right?"

"Wrong." Malik pulled a hand through his still slightly wet hair. "You don't have any idea, Marik. My house is a dump; it wouldn't be a surprise if they were hanging around spying on us or something… A-And I can't get taken away from Rishid or Isis… T-They're all I have left-"

"Look, kid, just calm down, I'm sure you'll be fine… You go to school all day, how will they even know you're around?"

"If what Rishid has been hearing is true, then they see me walk out to go to school every day." Malik cradled his head in his hands again. "Ugh, this sucks… I'm going to get ripped away and shipped off to foster care, and then I'll never see you or Ryou again-"

"Malik, I said calm down." Marik sighed slightly, "Look. Maybe you can just try to convince them and little Ryou to let you stay here for a while… Then you'll be safe, you and Ryou could hang out and whatnot…"

"And you wouldn't be so lonely, either." Malik grinned, just slightly. "You really don't want me to leave, do you?"

Marik shrugged slightly, but he didn't say anything.

-

"Nn, it tastes nasty…" Ryou's nose wrinkled slightly in disgust as he lowered the glass bottle from his lips.

"Ryou, we've gone through three of these already. Can't you just pick one?"

"But they taste bad." Ryou's response was quiet. "They're too sour…"

"Would you rather have a sweet one?" Bakura was rummaging through the cabinet, noticing that he only had about three other types remaining. "Or one in between the two?"

"…One that tastes like yours…" Ryou rested his head against the rim of the bathtub, still feeling quite faint.

"…You… You like my blood the most?" Bakura was slightly surprised by this. "Um… What exactly does mine taste like?"

"…It's… It's kind of bitter…" Ryou was struggling to find the correct words to fit the description. "…And it's kind of sweet at the same time…"

Bakura dug through the cabinets, before taking out one glass bottle from near the back, proceeding to pry the cap off before handing it to Ryou. "Here. This is as close as you're going to get. It's my sample from not too long ago. The taste may have dulled a bit, but it's still good, I guess."

Bakura began to put the bottles back, before closing the cabinets back up. After a few minutes, when Ryou was finished with the container, Bakura threw it out. "Did it taste like it usually does?"

"Sort of." Ryou raised his eyes heavenward for a moment, as if pondering it. "…It was still good, but I think it's better when it's fresh."

"Heh, you like my blood the most, huh?" Bakura bent down, picking Ryou up again, and began to carry the teen back out into the hall.

"Uh-huh." Ryou let his head rest against Bakura's chest again. Despite drinking through the bottle, he still felt slightly weak…

"That's good to know. At least someone does." Bakura made his way into Ryou's bedroom, before setting the teenager down on the bed. "I want you to lie down for a while, okay? You may have gotten some of the blood back, but it'll probably take a little while for your system to completely take it in…"

"Okay." Ryou leaned back into the pillows, his gaze shifting so that he was staring into Bakura's eyes. "…Can you see if Malik is okay?"

"I will. I haven't seen him or Marik for quite a while, so I'll go check on them both for you, okay?" Bakura ruffled the teenager's snowy hair, grinning. "I'm sure they're fine. They're keeping each other company, after all, and they get along quite well, so there's not much to worry about, is there?"

"…I guess not." Ryou smiled slightly, pulling the blankets up a little. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it." Bakura straightened up and began to head for the door, "I hope you feel better. Sorry I made such a mess…"

"It's fine." Ryou smiled again. "I didn't mind."

"Heh." Bakura made his way out into the hall, closing the door quietly after himself, unable to hide the grin on his face as he began to head back downstairs.

* * *

Chapter 25: End.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: This chapter would've been up sooner, but I was sick, so I didn't even have the will to do anything, and I spent the entire day sleeping. So I'm sorry for the lateness. D':

* * *

Ryou sighed softly, leaning against the windowsill, staring outside. The black sky was just slightly brightened by the moon, which was nearly full, surrounded by those little glimmering stars.

_The moon is my ally now. _Ryou bit his lip, the skin pierced slightly by his abnormally large canines. _It's the ally of all vampires._

…_Vampire… I never thought I would ever be calling myself one. _His fingers bent as he curled his hands into fists. _It's something I never guessed would happen to me. I never suspected it._

His chocolate orbs rose again to focus on the moon, which continued to glow with that pure light. The whitish glow had always mesmerized him, to say the least…

"_Kura… Why does the moon glow like that?" Ryou turned his head slightly to stare into Bakura's crimson eyes._

"_Well… To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure." Bakura tilted his head up, gaze fixed upon the orb hanging above them. "But it makes it look nice, doesn't it?"_

"_Yeah." Ryou moved back a little so that he was leaning into Bakura's chest, the smaller albino seated upon the man's lap. "It's pretty."_

_Bakura chuckled, clapping one hand onto the top of Ryou's head, ruffling the boy's mess of white hair. "You're an interesting kid, you know." His lips curved slightly into a smile. "Why do you always want me to come out here to look at the moon with you, anyway?"_

"_It's because I wanna spend time with you, Kura." Ryou beamed, turning slightly to stare up at Bakura._

"_Really, now?" Bakura's lips twitched into an amused grin, which revealed his abnormally huge canines. "Well, that's good to know. I need some new memories."_

_Bakura laced his arms about Ryou's small body as he stood up, grinning as Ryou squealed. He held the boy in his strong arms, watching Ryou as the child lifted his eyes heavenward for a moment. "Ryou, why do you like to stare at the moon so much?"_

"_I like it because it's pretty." Ryou said softly, a hand curling over Bakura's much larger ones. "…And Mum used to look at it with me."_

"…_Ryou…" Bakura pulled the child closer, biting his lip, his sharp fangs pricking the skin a little._

"…_I'm okay." Ryou forced himself to smile, looking up at Bakura, but the vampire could see tears in the child's eyes. "Besides, now you're around to look at it with me, Kura."_

Ryou sighed again, shoulders slumping as he did so. He loved looking at the moon with Bakura, ever since he was little and Bakura first took him in. But sometimes, it only made him remember things he didn't want to; like his family, for instance. _Maybe that's why I haven't actually gone stargazing in so long…_

There was a knock at his door, before it opened, revealing Bakura. "Hey, are you feeling any better?"

"…I'm fine." Ryou turned his attention back to the window.

"…What's on your mind, Ryou?" Bakura closed the door as he came into the room, walking towards the smaller of the two. "You seem troubled."

"It's nothing serious. I was just thinking about some things…"

"…Like what?" Bakura went closer so that he was standing next to Ryou. He then stopped, looking down at the smaller boy.

"The past." Ryou's voice was in a whisper, chocolate eyes fixed upon the moon. He leaned over slightly, letting his head rest against Bakura's shoulder. "I know it's not supposed to hurt anymore, but… But whenever even the slightest memory of her gets pushed to the surface, I just…"

"Ryou…" Bakura's voice was laced with concern, hearing the boy's voice shaking. "Ryou, don't cry…"

Ryou sniffed weakly, eyes squeezed shut. Suddenly he could feel Bakura's warm arms against his body, the man pulling him closer. Ryou looked up, vision blurred slightly by tears.

"It will more than likely always hurt." Bakura gently pulled his long, bony fingers through Ryou's snowy hair. "But it'll hurt less over time… You'll be able to think about her without so much pain eventually, Ryou…"

The smaller albino sniffed, letting his head rest against Bakura's muscled torso. "I just… I want it to stop hurting, Bakura."

"I know." Bakura sighed softly as he felt Ryou tremble, knowing the boy was crying. But he refused to chide the teen for his tears in any way, because he knew exactly what Ryou was going through. After all, he had lost his family as well.

-

"If you're so worried, why don't you just crash here for bit until all of this crap blows over?" Marik placed down one card on the tabletop.

Malik scowled down at his hand. "I would, but… I doubt Rishid would let me. He's protective, and it's not like he's ever met Ryou or Bakura before."

"…Maybe you should let Ryou and Bakura walk you home tomorrow, and do the introductions then. Sure, it would be a little rushed, but it's better than nothing."

Malik sighed, pulling his fingers through his sandy bangs. "Marik, I don't really want to leave home. It's a dump and all, but-"

"But what?" Marik snorted. "You already said Rishid is always at work, and Isis never pays any attention to you. So what's there to miss?"

Malik didn't reply.

"Malik… I know you love them and all, but maybe it would be for the best if you just left home for a little while, you know? Then you wouldn't have to worry about the social workers getting hold of you, you'd have a better place to stay at, and you could always call home to talk to your family at night or something…" Marik looked away. "And I'll always be around to talk. You won't be as lonely anymore."

Malik chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, before sighing deeply. "Well… I guess so. But I'll have to talk to Ryou about it before I take any steps."

"Talk to me about what?"

Malik turned in his seat to find Ryou in the doorway, Bakura at his side. Ryou's eyes were red-rimmed and slightly swollen, and Malik knew he had been crying. "…Oh, I didn't see you there."

"I'm sorry. I didn't really know you guys were in here." Ryou gave a weak smile. "I just came to get a drink. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay." Malik gave a half-hearted smile.

"But… What exactly do you need to talk to me about?" Ryou asked softly, making his way across the kitchen. He opened one of the cabinets, extracting a glass, and went over to the refrigerator. "I don't mean to be butting in, but I heard my name, so…"

Malik's gaze drifted to Bakura, who was leaning against the doorway, his eyes fixed upon the flooring. He noticed that the man's shirt was slightly damp, and he guessed that it was from Ryou's tears. Malik's eyes moved back to Ryou, who was filling up his glass with water. "…Um…"

"…His sister is sick, and his brother has too many shifts at work to watch over her, and there's been rumors going around that Social Services has been eyeing their home." Marik didn't look at anyone as he said this. "We've been trying to figure out a plan to help him out."

"…Oh… Malik, you should've told me sooner. That's a lot to be going on at once. I could've tried to think of something if I knew about it." He appeared to think for a moment, before he looked at Malik. "Oh, so you guys thought that maybe Malik could hang out here for a while?"

"Yeah." Malik rubbed at his arm. "But I didn't want to push you into it or anything, and I doubt Rishid will-"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll let you, Malik. By the sounds of it, your family is under quite a lot of stress." Ryou raised the glass to his lips, which were curved into the tiniest smile. "But I don't mind if you hang out here. It's perfectly fine by me." He stole a glance at Bakura. "What do you think?"

Bakura shrugged inwardly, finally looking up to stare at Malik. "Truthfully, it doesn't really matter to me, so I guess you can stay for a bit." Bakura's crimson eyes drifted to Marik. "Besides, maybe your family won't be the only ones who benefit by you staying in this household for a while."

"Bakura, don't." Ryou tried to cut him off, knowing that this would probably lead to another fight.

Marik merely pushed back his chair, and began to head towards the doorway. Bakura, however, blocked his path, staring down into the man's violet eyes, his own crimson set narrowed slightly.

"You just love to pick at me, don't you?" Marik pushed his way past Bakura and began to vanish as he headed through the living room and towards the stairs. "I don't think you realize what you're doing when you say things like that."

"Oh?" Bakura snorted at this. "And what is it that I don't realize?"

"You don't understand how much it hurts." Marik stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder to look back at Bakura. "You don't comprehend how much pain I feel."

Bakura growled, and in a flash, he was across the living room. He grabbed Marik by the shirt, slamming him into the wall, the albino's figure quivering with barely controlled rage. "Stop _acting_ like this! You act like you're the only one suffering, but you _aren't!" _Bakura was unable to control his screaming. "It's your own fault! You're insane, and you haven't even tried to help yourself! The pain is your own creation Marik, not anyone else's!"

Malik felt numb as he watched Bakura pull back a muscled arm, before punching Marik in the jaw. The teenager was frozen, unable to look away, unable to move… But his heart was racing.

"Don't you think I'm in pain too?!" Bakura shook Marik as if he was a rag doll. "How much did it hurt you to just wander around feasting off people? I bet it didn't hurt you a _bit_! The only thing you spent your time doing was feeding and gambling!" Bakura was bellowing into the blonde's face now, too angry to control himself. "And while you were off enjoying yourself, I was here raising a child! I was struggling to take care of him like a parent should, but then who was it that came crawling back to me in a hope that he could find a place to stay? _You._

"And of course I took you in, and then my life became even more of a struggle. Between trying to raise a child and watch over a man who can't take care of himself, my life was so _close _to falling apart. But did you ever hear me complain?! No, you didn't!" Bakura snarled as he hit Marik again. "And even though it was so hard on me, I still kept you around, and I continued to raise Ryou! I raised him because I loved him!" Bakura felt tears burning in his eyes. "I knew what was best for him, and _you _were not anything good. So of course I threw you out. I was sick of taking care of you, tired of you messing up my life…"

Tears were rolling down Bakura's cheeks. "How can you even say that you're in pain, Marik? You've never had a life like mine. You had the easy route. You always have. When you were pushed around, I protected you. When you needed me I was always there. When you were scared I comforted you, or when you were crying I cheered you up. I was your best friend." Bakura's hands unfurled from the man's shirt front. "I spent all those years helping you, protecting you, watching over you… And yet… Where were you when I needed help, Marik? You knew I was struggling, but you merely got in the way, not even bothering to help me. You were perfectly capable of changing, but you never did. You merely watched me from the shadows, secretly laughing at my struggles, continuing to take that easy path, letting me take care of you like I always have."

Bakura growled, despite his tears, and shoved Marik, the force so much he nearly knocked the man to the ground. "But you wouldn't understand. You haven't felt _anything_ like my pain, Marik."

The others watched in silence as Bakura stormed away, heading up the stairs. His shoulders were still shaking, and they all knew the man was crying.

"Bakura…" Ryou made his way past Malik and headed up the stairs, his heart racing. He wandered down the hall, his pointed ears twitching as it picked up the sound of weak cries. Ryou made his way down the corridor, following the sound, which eventually led him to the bathroom.

Ryou swallowed, and knocked upon the door. There was no answer. "Bakura, it's Ryou. Can… Can I come in?"

Still, there was no reply.

Ryou sighed and took the silver handle in his hands, before pushing the door open. Although the bathroom was in total darkness, he could still see Bakura's body.

The man was curled up in front of the bathtub, his long, skinny legs pulled up to his chest, and his head was lowered into the cradle of his knees, his entire body racked with soft sobs.

"Bakura…" Ryou closed the door and made his way across the bathroom. He proceeded to sit down next to the man. "Bakura… Come on, don't cry…"

Bakura slowly lifted his head up. His eyes were wet with tears, his face stained with tear tracks. He hiccupped, not meeting Ryou's gaze.

"Hey…" Ryou placed a slender hand on Bakura's arm. "Come on, Bakura… Please, don't cry. It's okay…"

"No, it's not." Bakura's voice cracked slightly as he choked on his tears. "Why do I always get so angry when I talk to him, Ryou? I can never hold back. I hit him every single time I speak to him." Bakura dragged his pale, bony fingers through his bangs. "Why do I always get this way?"

"You're angry and hurt, Bakura." Ryou scooted a little closer, gently rubbing Bakura's upper arm in an attempt of comfort. "I think it's because every time you look at him, you remember what you two used to have… And then you get both upset and livid, knowing that it's not the same anymore, or ever going to be."

Bakura gave a weak sniffle, swearing softly as he rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to wipe all the saline water.

"Bakura… Why didn't you ever tell me you were hurting this much? I could've tried to help you out…" Ryou bit his lip, lowering his gaze. "O-Or… If I was just so much stress… Why didn't you just throw me out?"

Bakura's head snapped up in an instant. "Ryou, why would you say something like that?"

"I… I mean… You were saying how hard it was trying to raise me and all, so why did you even bother to keep me? I mean…" Ryou bit his lip harder, rubies of blood swelling on the broken skin. "If I was too much, you could've just-"

"Ryou, listen to me." Bakura's voice had hardened, just slightly. "The thought of getting rid of you never once crossed my mind. I never wanted to ship you off to another home. I wanted to raise you on my own, to be both a parent and a brother to you." Bakura smiled, just slightly, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. "It's because I loved you. And I knew you were just like me…"

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked softly, unable to look away.

"You lost your family, your home… You never had very many friends…" Bakura lowered his knees so that he was sitting cross-legged. "I brought you in and always took care of you because I didn't want you to end up like me."

Ryou blinked as Bakura's arms were suddenly around him, pulling him closer in a warm embrace. Ryou glanced up at the man, his head against the elder vampire's chest. "Bakura… I'm glad you didn't kick me out."

"So am I." Bakura's eyes fell to the skinny teen in his arms. "Because if I did, I'm sure I wouldn't be the same person I am today… I'm not even sure I would still be around, actually…"

"What do you mean?" Ryou blinked, looking up into Bakura's eyes.

Bakura averted his gaze, finding that he couldn't stare into those innocent chocolate orbs anymore. "Let's… Let's just say suicidal thoughts were quite common for me, Ryou."

Ryou's eyes widened. He could feel Bakura's arms tightening about his body, the man's eyes averted as if he was ashamed. "Bakura… You… You actually…"

"Many times." Bakura's voice was a whisper. "Ryou… Vampires aren't completely immortal. And sometimes I would just sit in the darkness and think about ways I could carry it out." Tears were burning in his eyes. "If I refused to drink blood, I would whither away into a mere shell. If I stood in the sun long enough, I would die. If I lit a match…"

Ryou swallowed. He could feel Bakura's chest beginning to heave beneath his figure, and tears were beginning to escape the from the man's crimson orbs.

"But I couldn't do it. I always thought of you in the end… I didn't know what would happen to you if I died." Bakura choked, tears rolling down his cheeks, and he hugged Ryou tighter. "You were the only thing that kept me going. You still are. Ryou… I don't have anything else. Without you around… I would be nothing."

-

"Are you sure you're okay? He got you pretty hard-"

"I said I'm fine." Marik jerked back as Malik touched the bruising spot on his jawbone. "Stop worrying already."

"I already told you, I can't help it." Malik leaned back slightly, both of them seated upon the floor of the living room. Malik blinked as Marik suddenly climbed to his feet, not speaking. "Hey… Where are you going?"

"Out." Marik made his way across the living room and over to the front door, not even looking at Malik anymore.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Malik knew his voice more than likely came out weak. _Because I don't want you to go…_

"…I need to get out of the house for a while, that's all-"

"Marik, please." Malik hurried over to the door, knowing deep down what was truly going to happen. "_Please_ don't tell me you're going out to feed."

Marik didn't reply to this.

Malik's face fell, and he curled a hand about Marik's arm. "B-But… I don't want you to keep doing this to yourself. You said you would try to change… I'm even here, so why do you need to go out? Just use me-"

"I can't." Marik jerked his arm free of Malik's grip. "Malik, I can't feed off of you every time I get hungry. If I did, you would surely die from blood loss." Marik sighed as he dragged his fingers through his wild bangs. "…And I can't exactly skip out on feeding. I _need_ blood, and missing out on my meals only puts me at risk for rampages…"

"What if I go with you?" Malik's voice sounded slightly hopeful. "I can tag along to make sure you don't overdo it… Right?"

Marik bit his lip. "Malik… I don't really-"

"Marik, I don't care about the risks. I want to go along. I can't just let you do this to yourself all over again." Malik's grip tightened slightly. "I just want to help you."

Marik stared at Malik for a minute, a bit surprised by the determination he could see in the teen's lavender eyes. Marik heaved a sigh. "…All right. You can come with me."

Malik beamed, and he finally pulled away. "Hold on, let me go tell Ryou. At least then he won't freak out when he sees us gone."

Marik sighed as he watched Malik sprint up the pearl white stairs, one of those huge smiles on his face. _I don't understand why he actually cares._

Malik hurried down the hallway, grinning. _I guess I finally got to him. At least now he can't get out of control…_

He blinked, noticing that the bathroom door was closed. Typically, the doors to other rooms were open if they were empty, so Malik guessed that the bathroom was inhabited at the moment. He made his way over to the closed door, and called through the structure, "Hey, Ryou, Marik and I are going to be out for a little while, okay?"

Strangely, there was no reply.

Malik frowned. "Ryou?" he raised his voice, just slightly. But nothing greeted his senses but silence.

Malik bit his lip, and held his breath, taking the silver handle in his hands, before slowly opening the door. It swung open silently, bathed in darkness. However, the light coming in from the hall was just enough to allow Malik to see the sight before him. He found himself unable to move, his eyes wide.

Bakura had his arms wrapped tightly about Ryou, who was sitting so close to the man that he was nearly in his lap. Ryou's eyes were wide open, but they appeared blank. Bakura's, on the other hand, were closed. The orbs were swollen slightly and red-rimmed, his face stained with tears, and it was obvious he had been crying. But what disturbed him was the fact that Bakura's enormous fangs were pierced into the side of Ryou's neck.

Bakura's expression seemed pained as he drank. There was blood coating Bakura's lips and running down Ryou's pale neck, staining his tee shirt with crimson.

Suddenly, Bakura's eyes fluttered open, and he slowly pulled away, obviously trying to remove his perfect white fangs as painlessly as possible. Ryou didn't make a sound, however, and merely collapsed forward as the man moved back.

Bakura wiped his blood-stained mouth on his shirt sleeve, one arm about the small of Ryou's back, holding him close. Ryou was leaning against the man's chest, panting. Bakura then bent down slightly, licking over Ryou's deep bite marks, not only covering up the wound, but also collecting the remainder of blood.

He then settled back, his spine against the bathtub. Ryou remained against his chest, breathing heavily. Suddenly, Ryou spoke, his voice a shaking whisper, "K-Kura… I… I'm c-cold…"

"I'm sorry." Bakura pulled the teen even closer, his eyes filled with regret. "Ryou… Why do you let me do this? Why don't you stop me?"

"…I d-don't…want to s-see you in p-pain…" Ryou tried to inch closer to Bakura, hunched against his muscular frame. The teenager was shivering, his teeth chattering slightly.

"That doesn't mean you should have to suffer." Bakura closed his eyes as he held Ryou tight, his voice laced with pain and regret and shame. "Ryou, I'm so sorry…"

Malik took a shaky step backwards, his eyes wide. Without speaking up, he turned on his heel, and fled the scene.

* * *

Chapter 26: End.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: My goal is to get my two current fanfictions finished up by the time school starts back for me. Do you guys think I'll be able to do it? :'D

* * *

"Ryou?" Bakura noticed Ryou was shivering even more than he was a few minutes ago. Deep down, Bakura felt a spark of panic. "Ryou, are you okay?"

"…Kura…" Ryou lifted his head up, face deathly pale. He squirmed a little, struggling to press even closer to the man, craving the warmth of the man's muscled body. "I-I… I f-feel sick…"

Cold fear rose from the pits of Bakura's stomach and swallowed his heart in milliseconds. He swallowed thickly, realizing what was happening. He hurriedly scooped Ryou up in his arms, who whimpered, clinging to his shirt.

"Kura…" Ryou's stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, and yet, it ached with hunger. Ryou honestly didn't know what was going on, but when Bakura stood up, he felt close to being sick, for a wave of dizziness near instantly crashed over him. "K-Kura, w-what's h-happening to m-me?"

Bakura held Ryou close and tightly, hugging the shaking body close to his chest in a desperate act to keep him warm. "No time."

In a flash Bakura was across the bathroom and the window, unlatching it, while holding the shivering boy in his free arm. He quickly threw the window open, and clambered out onto the roof, taking only a few seconds to close the window again before running down the slope of the roof. As he made it to the edge, he jumped in an instant, hearing Ryou cry out as he did so, but he paid it no mind.

He landed on the ground perfectly, almost like a cat. Taking only a moment to bring Ryou closer, he took off in a sprint towards the fence.

He easily pulled himself up and over the structure, and began to bolt towards town, carrying Ryou.

"K-Kura… W-Where are y-you t-taking me?" Ryou managed to look up. It bothered him how Bakura's crimson eyes were filled with so much worry…

"Shh." Bakura shushed him quietly, holding Ryou in one arm. With his free hand, he brushed Ryou's hair from his eyes. "Just be quiet for me."

Ryou's slightly dulled chocolate eyes widened as Bakura suddenly lifted his arm, before roughly biting into the skin of his wrist.

Bakura winced as he sank his large canines into his own wrist, pulling back when a small trail of blood began to dribble from the bite. He looked down at Ryou, noticing that the teen was staring with wide eyes at his bleeding wrist. He then offered the bloody part to Ryou.

Ryou practically leapt upon it, like a starving animal attacking its prey, quickly taking the bleeding arm into his pale hands. He licked the blood from Bakura's arm, before locking his lips about the bite, and began to suck, easily extracting a full mouthful of blood from the man's tiny wound and swallowed it hungrily.

_Hopefully a little of my blood will be able to contain him until we find a victim._

-

"Are you sure you're all right? You look quite shaken." Marik glanced over at Malik again. The two had left the Bakura household only a few minutes ago, and truly, Marik was a bit concerned. After Malik came back downstairs from going to speak with Ryou, his face had drained of a lot of color, and he seemed somewhat jumpy, but when Marik asked, he insisted that everything was fine.

Malik didn't answer, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear. _What if he hurt Ryou? I mean, they're both vampires. If a vampire takes blood from another one, doesn't that put the victim of the two at risk because it doesn't have as much blood anymore?_

"Malik!" Marik practically screamed at the boy, who jumped. Marik sighed. "Malik, look, I know something is up. Why can't you just tell me what's going on? What did you see that's making you like this?"

_I need to tell him. I need to make sure that Ryou is going to be okay. _Malik swallowed hard. "B-Bakura… H-He was…feeding off of Ryou…" Malik looked up into Marik's violet eyes. "I-Is Ryou going to be okay? I… I mean… T-They're both vampires, s-so-"

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Malik." Marik shrugged inwardly, apparently not too fazed. "I mean, Bakura really cares about little Ryou, apparently. I doubt he would take so much blood out of him that little Ryou would begin to whither away-"

"B-But Ryou said he was cold. T-That doesn't normally happen… Does it?" Malik asked, hoping that Marik would deem it as a common aftereffect.

"…No, it doesn't." Marik said this softly, as if more to himself. He then looked at Malik. "I wouldn't worry too much, though. I doubt Bakura would let the child he raised get into any serious danger."

-

Bakura had finally made it into the main branch of the city, which was where he always went to feed. He stole a glance down at Ryou, who he was still holding in his right arm. Although the weight had made the limb fall asleep, he didn't dare release the teen.

Ryou was currently drinking from the side of Bakura's arm. Once the small pinpricks on Bakura's wrist had stopped bleeding, Ryou had licked over the little bite and had proceeded to roughly sink his fangs into Bakura's arm in a desperate attempt to gain more of the man's blood.

Bakura grimaced as Ryou suddenly bit down harder upon his arm. Although the elder vampire was bleeding, it wasn't enough, mainly because Ryou's fangs weren't entirely big enough yet to completely pierce through the man's flesh to get to the vein. Ryou would have to develop a little more as a vampire before his fangs would grow large enough.

Ryou scowled as he released Bakura's arm. He licked the remaining droplets of blood off of the man's skin, before letting his tongue trail over the bite. He then sat still, frowning deeply, staring out into the darkness.

Bakura knew that the amount of blood Ryou had gotten wasn't nearly enough to fulfill his needs. _We need to hurry and find a human before he tries to bite me on the throat._

Bakura finally found a bench. He made his way over, and set Ryou down. The teenager frowned at him, and Bakura could see the bloodlust and hunger that was beginning to completely cloud the albino's once chocolate eyes.

To Bakura's relief, the sound of running footsteps reached his ears. He noticed that Ryou had gone stock-still, eyes cast into the dark.

As a shadow fell into his line of vision, Ryou instantly stood up, making his way into the center of the sidewalk path to block his victim from getting around him.

Bakura watched silently from his place on the bench. Ryou had grabbed his victim by the arms, dark eyes clouded over. The teenager barely hesitated before biting roughly into the person's neck, his eyes fluttering shut instantly.

Bakura felt a little quiver of guilt in his stomach as he watched Ryou feed. Ryou had his fangs buried as deep as he possibly could into the victim's throat, the teenager's slender arms wrapped about the body tightly, holding it still. Not only was Ryou drinking deeply, but the process had dragged on for so long Bakura had lost track of time. _I really did take advantage of him. I took too much…_

Finally, Ryou's eyes fluttered back open. The teen roughly ripped out his fangs, which dripped with blood, before he licked over the bite. His chest was heaving, the boy panting.

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou staggered, his arms releasing the human he had just feasted upon. The person collapsed instantly, sprawled on the sidewalk.

Bakura leapt to his feet as he noticed Ryou's legs trembling, his knees buckling beneath him. The taller albino quickly ran forward, catching Ryou as the boy's legs went out.

"K…K-Kura…?" Ryou blinked heavily, slumped in the man's arms. He looked up, tired chocolate eyes fixed with Bakura's crimson ones. "W-What happened? W… Where are we?"

"You don't remember?" Bakura asked softly, brushing a lock of hair from Ryou's exhausted eyes, his brow furrowing with concern.

Ryou shook his head softly. "T-The last thing I remember… Y-You were jumping over the fence… Y-You asked me to be quiet for you, s-so I did… B-But… Once we stopped talking…" Ryou bit his lip, which was stained with blood. "I-I can't remember anything else…"

_Once I bit into my wrist and he smelled the blood, he instantly lost his hold on reality. His instincts as a vampire instantly kicked in at the sight and scent of blood. _Bakura sighed softly as he helped Ryou over to the bench, the teen gratefully collapsing onto the structure. "Just hold on for a second."

The man then left Ryou's side, heading over to the crumpled body of the victim. Bakura bent down, pressing his hand against the human's forehead, erasing the memory. He then stood back up, making his way back over to the bench.

Ryou looked up at him, his breathing still quite heavy. "Kura…"

"Come here." Bakura proceeded to bend down, gently wrapped his arms about the teenager's skinny form, before heaving him up and off the bench. "It's okay, Ryou."

"B-But… W-Why can't I remember?" Ryou asked this while looking up at the man, chocolate eyes filled with worry and confusion.

"…You can blame me for that," Bakura said softly, walking down the sidewalk, leaving the victim behind. "Ryou… I'm sorry… I drained you of too much blood…" He pulled his fingers through Ryou's hair softly, "I'm so sorry…"

"…I-I'm okay…" Ryou smiled weakly. "'S all right…"

"No, it isn't." Bakura's voice hardened, just slightly. "Ryou… I really messed things up. I was lucky things didn't fall apart… A vampire being drained of so much blood can easily set them up to go into a rampage… And if they can't get blood when in a frenzy after being so drained…" Bakura choked as he struggled to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "T-They die…"

It was only then Bakura realized how weak and relieved he felt. _I could've lost Ryou… And it would've been all my fault…_

"Kura… It's okay." Ryou gave an exhausted smile. "I'm all right… Just…tired…"

"Ryou…" Bakura could feel tears burning in the very back of his eyes, and he hugged the skinny teen closer, the saline water threatening to spill over. "Come on… Let's get you home."

* * *

Bakura looked up from his book as he heard a few footsteps, and he felt a smile spread over his face at the sight of Ryou standing upon the middle of the stairs. The albino was rubbing sleepily at one eye, his hair slightly matted and his clothes wrinkled from his slumber. Ever since they made it home two hours ago, Ryou had been sleeping. Bakura guessed that he had been completely exhausted after all of the events of the evening, so he had merely tucked the boy into bed to let him nap.

"Mm… Kura?" Ryou made his way down the remaining steps, and began in the direction of the couch.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Bakura set down his novel, before standing up, and eagerly grabbed Ryou in his arms in a huge, warm hug as the boy finally made it over to the couch. Still holding the teen in his embrace, he took a few steps back and collapsed onto the sofa with Ryou still in his hold.

Ryou giggled slightly, looking up at the man, who was grinning. "Kura… Why are you so hyped up?"

"I'm just happy to see you awake… I mean, after all that happened, I thought you would sleep the rest of the night away." Bakura smiled warmly, ruffling Ryou's hair. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Mm, I'm all right. I'm still a little sleepy and kind of lightheaded, but I'm okay." Ryou smiled slightly.

"I'm just glad I didn't hurt you… I mean, I could've put you in a serious issue…" Bakura's smile faded a bit. "I should've been more careful. I should've thought about the consequences before I used you…"

"Kura, stop being so hard on yourself." Ryou frowned just slightly. "I'm okay… And you were hurting… I didn't want to see you that way, so I offered myself…" He smiled again. "But everything is all right, so don't worry anymore…"

Bakura chuckled, "I guess I'm just lucky you're so forgiving…"

For a while, they just sat there in silence, Bakura still holding Ryou in his tight embrace…

_Ryou was crying._

"_Ryou? Ryou what's the matter?" Bakura crouched down, concerned by the child's river of tears. Bakura frowned when the child remained silent, tears rolling down his small, round face._

"_K-Kura…" Ryou sniffed weakly as he lifted up his head. "W-Who would wanna kill mommy? W-Why did they do it?"_

"_Ryou…" Bakura sighed, his heart aching. He hated it when Ryou remembered his family. He hated it when Ryou cried. He hated it all because it made him feel heartbroken in his own way._

"_W-Why, Kura?" Ryou asked, looking up into Bakura's crimson colored eyes, his own spilling tears. "D-Did they hate me?"_

"_Ryou, stop it. It had nothing to do with you." Bakura sighed softly as he tucked a lock of Ryou's hair behind a small, perfect ear, "It was some stupid guy who made it happen. He had too many drinks and didn't pay attention to the stoplight. And when it turned red, he didn't stop."_

_The drinks were something Bakura had yet to explain in detail. He didn't exactly intend on corrupting a child on things such as alcoholic beverages, but he didn't have to explain it. Ryou seemed to understand what he was saying, as if the drinks had nothing to do with it._

"_Kura, why didn't he stop? When it turns red you're supposed to stop, so why didn't he?" Ryou was frowning, tears dribbling down his face, finally slowing down._

"_I think it was because of those icky drinks. They make a person very confused and sick, Ryou."_

"_So why do they drink it?" Ryou asked innocently, the talk of his family's death now forgotten._

"_I don't know, Ryou." Bakura sat down on the bed, his weight making the mattress slant downhill a little bit. He proceeded to grab Ryou in his strong arms, setting him down in his lap. "Some people are just like that, I suppose."_

"…_Oh. Okay." Ryou sniffled, rubbing at his now red-rimmed eyes. "Kura, have you ever tried those icky drinks?"_

_Bakura chuckled, "Let's not talk about that." He ruffled the child's hair. Ryou pouted. "Hey, no frowning, remember?" Bakura smirked as he began tickling the little albino sitting on his lap._

_Ryou squirmed, struggling to break free of the man's grip, laughing hysterically. "K-Kura, stop! K-K-Kura!"_

"_I don't think I will!" Bakura easily pinned the boy down – but he made sure to stay as gentle as possible - chuckling softly as he carried on his 'torture'._

_Ryou squirmed frantically, gasping and laughing at the same time, kicking and thrashing in a futile attempt to get free._

"_Are you going to stop pouting?" Bakura asked in that sing-song voice. He couldn't help but laugh as Ryou gave a frantic nod._

Ryou's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Hey, Kura?"

"Hm?" Bakura tilted his head slightly so that he was staring into Ryou's eyes.

"…Where's Malik and Marik? I didn't see them on the way down here…" Ryou frowned just slightly.

"I think Marik went feeding. Malik probably tagged along, knowing him." Bakura frowned suddenly. "But now that I think about it… We've been home for nearly an hour… They should be back by now if they just went out to grab a quick victim…"

As if on cue, the front door suddenly flung open, hitting the wall with a bang. Both albinos jumped, turning to glance at the door, but froze.

Marik staggered inside, panting. His shirt was ripped open, his muscled chest covered with bloody claw marks, and the knees of his black jeans had been ripped out. The skin of his neck was sliced, looking as if something had bit into the flesh before the teeth were dragged. What appeared to be a bullet hole decorated his left shoulder, which was stained with blood.

Malik was obviously unconscious, curled up in a near ball in Marik's trembling arms, his blonde hair covering his face.

"What did you do?!" Bakura practically roared, on his feet. Ryou was shaking, standing at the man's side.

"I… I didn't…" Marik coughed, hacking up a rather good amount of blood. Bakura then noticed the stake that was pierced into the man's chest, mere inches to the right of the man's heart. "…do this…"

Bakura gritted his teeth, and he made his way over to the man. He collected Malik's limp form into his own arms, managing to cradle his figure in one limb, while pushing Marik towards the couch.

Bakura carefully lowered Malik's surprisingly light form onto the sofa, noticing that the teenager's shirt was ripped open, the fabric clawed through. Bakura gulped as he noticed how _thin _the boy was. The hole in the blonde's shirt let Bakura see his figure, and he felt sick at how he could see Malik's ribs.

Bakura turned away from Malik, and towards Ryou. "Do you think you can check over him for me to see if he's injured? I need to go help Marik with his wounds real quick, all right?" Bakura was already halfway across the living room, pushing Marik towards the stairs. "I'll be right back."

Ryou felt numb as he watched Bakura hurry up the stairs, dragging Marik along with him by the arm. Now alone in the room, Ryou's gaze fell onto Malik. The teen was curled up, unconscious, upon the sofa, his back facing the albino.

Ryou bent down a little, brushing Malik's sandy blonde bangs from his closed eyes. As the boy's hair was moved out of the way, Ryou noticed a sickeningly large bruise covering the left portion of the boy's face. It was just beneath Malik's eye, and nearly spread all the way down to his jawbone. Not only that, but Malik was deathly pale. His tanned skin looked drained of a _lot_ of color…

Ryou swallowed, fingers trembling, as he swept the remainder of the boy's hair out of the way. Ryou froze as he eyed Malik's throat, noticing two rather large holes upon his tanned skin. Bite marks.

-

"You _idiot_! How can you be so _stupid_?!"

Marik flinched; Bakura's face was a mere inch away from his own. Bakura was screaming, shaking with sheer rage.

It took all of Bakura's willpower not to punch Marik in the face. He was trembling with anger, a vein sickeningly sticking out on his neck as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Marik dared to look into Bakura's eyes, and the instant he did, he wished he hadn't. The crimson orbs were nearly glowing with fury, Bakura's left eye twitching, apparently struggling not to punch his lights out. Marik quickly averted his gaze, unable to stare into those angry eyes any longer.

Bakura huffed angrily, arms folded across his chest. "I can't believe you would do something like that."

Marik didn't reply.

Bakura growled, pinching the bridge of his nose, obviously struggling to keep his rage under control. "Lay down so I can get the bullet out."

Marik obeyed without words. His chest was already bandaged, but his shoulder was still pierced and bleeding due to the bullet.

Bakura sighed to himself as he picked up the scalpel – which he had dug out of the first-aid kit – and began slicing a bit into Marik's shoulder. The blood that came from the growing cut didn't come close to fazing him.

Once the cut was large enough, he went in with the tweezers, unblinking eyes focused. He easily grabbed the metal piece, before yanking it out. He paused for a moment, before cleaning the wound, and bandaged it.

"Marik… You'd better fix the mistake you made. I'm sure the kid is scarred up now, and it's all your fault." Bakura began packing away his materials. "You'd just better hope that the error you made isn't lethal."

* * *

Chapter 27: End.


	28. Chapter 28

Ryou sighed softly, nibbling on his lower lip. Malik was still unconscious, but Ryou had discovered quite a few injuries. Besides the massive bruise on his face, there was a set of claw marks upon the base of his neck. He had also found some claw marks on Malik's side, mere inches above his hips.

Not only did the marks bother him, but Ryou had also noticed how thin Malik was during his examination. _He's obviously not eating enough… I wonder if he even eats at home… Maybe the only chance he gets is as school…_

Ryou grimaced as he heard a crash from upstairs, followed by a scream. He knew it was Marik and Bakura fighting, as usual, so he didn't really pay much attention to it. _I thought Bakura was going to dress his wounds, not make more of them…_

A small groan brought him out of his thoughts. Ryou blinked, gaze settling onto Malik, who was shifting around on the couch uneasily, murmuring something, too quiet for Ryou to hear.

Ryou scowled a little when Malik's once blank expression began to twist with pain, the mumbles growing a little in volume. Ryou grabbed Malik's shoulder, shaking him softly in an attempt to awaken him. He didn't like it how Malik was tossing around so much… "Malik? Malik, wake up!"

To Ryou's relief, the blonde's eyes shot open almost instantly. But he didn't like it how Malik's eyes were filled with nothing but terror…

Malik stared into Ryou's chocolate eyes for a long moment, not breathing, his eyes unblinking.

Ryou's brow furrowed slightly as Malik's eyes suddenly filled with tears, but Malik refused to let them fall. His breathing was quicker, and he looked terrified… "Malik, are you okay? You're shaking…"

Malik didn't answer, but Ryou felt a flutter of pity in stomach when the tears slowly began to escape from Malik's eyes, trickling down his bruised face.

"Hey… It's going to be okay, Malik… It's over…" Ryou took up his friend into an embrace, and Malik began sobbing into his shirt. But despite his own words of comfort, Ryou wasn't sure it was going to be all right. _What if he was bitten by a purebred vampire?_

"Marik, get _off_ of me!" Bakura's voice sounded then, and the screams sounded closer than before.

Ryou stole a glance over his shoulder, still holding Malik close. He noticed the two vampires staggering down the hallway, heading towards the stairs. He huffed slightly as he noticed that, like usual, they were fighting. "Guys, stop it-"

"Get _off_!" Bakura screamed, struggling to shake Marik off of him, oblivious to Ryou's pleas. Marik had the paler of the two in a headlock, and Bakura's left eye was twitching in anger as he tried to pry Marik off. There was a large, noticeable stain of blood on the front of the albino's pants.

"Then take it back!" Marik roared, his arms tightening about Bakura's throat as he threw the albino forward.

Bakura let out a weak cry as his head was slammed into the wall, so hard he could see stars, his vision wobbling in and out of focus. He sucked in a breath, pain pressing into his body, "M-Marik, s-stop it-"

Bakura screamed as the blonde smashed his skull against the structure again, a brutal fire of pain erupting inside of his head. He could feel blood rolling down his face, but he couldn't see anything… His vision blurred violently, and his knees went out, slumping in Marik's grasp.

"Marik, stop!" Ryou had forgotten about Malik by this point. The brutal fight before him was enough of a distraction. He leapt to his feet, charging up the stairs.

Marik froze instantly, muscular arms still circled about Bakura's throat. However, at the sight of Ryou charging upstairs, he quickly released the albino, who crumpled instantly onto the carpeted flooring.

Ryou quickly ran over to the fallen vampire, who was lying in a heap. Ryou managed to roll the man over onto his back, concerned by the large sum of blood racing down his forehead. And due to the closeness, Ryou could hear Bakura breathing, but this bothered him, mainly because the albino was wheezing instead of his normal, deep breathing. The stain of blood on the fabric of Bakura's jeans was growing, staining the dark denim with bright crimson.

"Bakura? Bakura, can you hear me?" Ryou asked, gently shaking the man's shoulder, trying not to move him too much.

"…R…Ryou?" Bakura whispered. His head was pounding, his unclear vision stained with bright splatters of color and stars. His stomach was flopping uncomfortably, and it was a struggle to even breathe… He struggled to sit up, but he felt a hand gently but firmly press him down.

"Bakura, stop. You could be hurt…" Ryou removed his hand, gently brushing a lock of Bakura's hair away again to inspect the man's head. There was a nasty bruise forming already, and the blood was still trailing down from the cut upon his skin. "Do you feel strange in any way?"

"M-My head is killing me…" Bakura whimpered slightly as he pressed a hand against his forehead. His vision had cleared up, and he could see Ryou sitting at his side, expression twisted with worry. "A-And I feel sick…"

"Can you see all right?" Ryou asked, frowning.

"Now I can, but… A second ago everything was blurry." Bakura closed his eyes, feeling Ryou's hand touch his face again, apparently inspecting his head again.

"You might've gotten a mild concussion…" Ryou frowned at this possibility. "You didn't lose consciousness, though… You do remember what happened, right?"

"Marik knocked me into the wall… Right?" Bakura opened his eyes, feeling a little relieved when Ryou's chocolate eyes softened with reassurance.

"Well… I think you'll be all right. Come on, let's get you up." Ryou then struggled to help the man to his feet. It was difficult; not only could Bakura not support his own weight, but the elder vampire was much bigger than Ryou was.

Bakura's eyes widened as a hand settled on his shoulder. It was too heavy to be Ryou's… Suddenly he could feel the grip trying to heave him to his feet, and instantly, his head swiveled around, crimson meeting that of violet. "M-Marik?"

Ryou blinked, still holding onto Bakura's arm. He felt confused as Marik suddenly pushed his hand away, before grabbing both of Bakura's arms, easily hefting the paler of the two vampires off of the floor.

"H-Hey!" Bakura kicked slightly, starting to struggle, but he stopped as his head began to spin. "W-What are you-?"

Wordlessly, Marik turned, and started down the hall, arms about Bakura's thin frame, easily carrying the vampire in the direction of the bathroom.

Ryou silently followed, confusion etched on his features.

Marik mutely entered the bathroom, crossing it, and set Bakura down upon the rim of the bathtub. The albino glared up at him, a hand curled about the edge to steady himself. "What's your problem?"

_I don't even know anymore. _But he still kept silent, merely turning on his heel and began to head for the door. However, as he made it there, Ryou blocked his path. The boy was staring up at him, eyes confused and even a bit concerned… Marik wordlessly lifted up a hand, putting it onto Ryou's shoulder, gently but firmly nudging the teen out of his way, and he took to the hall.

Ryou watched him leave. The blonde vampire had both hands shoved into the pockets of his black jeans; his head was bowed so that his bangs fell into his eyes, which were filled with so many emotions Ryou wasn't sure what to make of it.

Then, Marik vanished from sight, obviously making his way down the stairs.

"I told you he's sick in the head." Bakura commented from his place across the room, arms folded across his chest. "I don't get what his problem is. I mean, we get into a fight and then all of a sudden he's helping me? I don't _get _it-"

"Bakura… I think Marik felt regret." Ryou began to head into the bathroom, digging out the first-aid kit. "I think he felt bad that he hurt you like that…"

Bakura snorted, wiping the blood from his brow, but he didn't reply.

"Bakura… Why did you two even get into a fight?" Ryou asked this as he traveled over to the tub, sitting next to Bakura on the rim, the kit in his lap. "I mean… I know you two can barely sit next to each other for five minutes without arguing, but… I think something happened. You wouldn't get into a fight with him after he just got injured for no reason…"

Bakura bit his lip, his large canines pricking the skin, and he quickly looked away. The slightest bubble of guilt had formed in his stomach from Ryou's words, but it quickly popped as he looked back into Ryou's eyes, "It was his fault."

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, taking out a cloth.

Bakura tensed slightly as Ryou tried to dab away the blood from his forehead, but he ignored it. "Ryou… He got into a fight with a vampire. I'm sure you've figured that out by now…" He closed his eyes. "But the reason the vampire attacked them was Marik's own fault."

"How do you figure?"

Bakura sighed. "Ryou… Marik doesn't bother to take careful routes. He feeds in plain sight, rarely licking over his bites, and he often forgets to erase the memories of his victims. And because of this, he attracts unwanted attention; both from other vampires and Slayers."

"…I… I'm afraid I don't understand." Ryou frowned slightly. "What does that have to do with how the vampire attacked them tonight?"

"Because Marik, as usual, didn't plan or take any precautions, he was targeted…" He sighed, a bit heavier this time. "Ryou… When you don't lick over your own bites, the wound is not sealed, meaning it will both take longer to heal over and have a risk of infection. Not only that, but without a covering, the wound will only bleed more… You understand?"

Ryou's eyes widened slightly. "S-So… Because he didn't lick over his marks, the blood that escaped attracted another vampire?"

"Exactly." Bakura's eyes narrowed slightly. "And because Marik is so addicted, it means he fed off of several people, more than likely… And if he didn't lick over any of his bites, then the scent of blood probably grew even stronger. A vampire – no matter their type, level, or age – can easily sniff out blood. And when the get hungry, the react quite strongly to the scent…" Bakura sighed. "And some vampires, who have degraded so much that they react to the smallest drop of blood, can smell bloodshed from near miles away. And if a degraded vampire gets hungry, well, let's just say things aren't anywhere close to pretty."

"T-They were attacked by a degraded vampire?"

"Yes. And it was even worse than it usually would be, mainly because the vampire hadn't eaten in days…" Bakura closed his eyes. "It reacted instantly to the smell of the blood, and instantly took to the scene.

"Marik managed to fight him off a little, but his large blood intake slowed him. Vampires who have just eaten are typically a bit slower on their feet, mainly because their bodies are still absorbing the blood they just took in, making them slower to react." Bakura sighed, eyes drifting open. "But that vampire was mad hungry, Ryou. With Marik standing in his way, he couldn't really get to the victims already feasted upon… But Malik was standing within range, behind Marik…

"Of course, he threw Marik to the side with ease, slicing into the man's body with his claws, effortlessly pushing him away… And Malik, being human… He didn't stand a chance against a bloodthirsty, degraded vampire.

"If the prey defies a vampire, whose brain is clouded with hunger and bloodlust, things get ugly. And with it being a degraded one…" Bakura shook his head. "They couldn't care less about their victims. Even if the prey doesn't defy them in any way, the degraded vampire will often drink them dry, until there isn't a drop of blood left in their veins… And if they _do_ fight back… The vampire will often fight, killing their prey on the spot before drinking them until they're empty…

"Marik apparently got his butt into gear before Malik was completely drained. He managed to fight the vampire off… But by then Malik was unconscious from the loss of blood. Marik barely escaped, actually… He had fought the vampire a bit – who was now the weaker of the two due to the rapid blood intake – and fled… He's lucky the thing didn't hunt them back down…"

Ryou gulped. _Malik is probably scarred for life… Poor guy… Having to be tracked by a degraded vampire of all things… _"B-Bakura… What does this have to do with you guys getting into a fight?"

"Oh, that?" Bakura snorted. "He got ticked because I kept calling him an idiot. Well, actually, he started trying to fight me when I mentioned that he nearly got Malik killed."

Ryou sniffed, able to smell blood. His gaze settled on the legging of Bakura's jeans, "O-Oh! I forgot all about your wound!"

"It's all right…" Bakura undid the button of his jeans, wincing slightly as the now soaked fabric reopened the wound. He managed to tug the clothing off.

A small sound passed Ryou's lips at the injury. It was obviously that of a stab wound, but what bothered him was that the wound sliced down, as if the weapon had been sliced downward before it was ripped back out of the man's thigh. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"A little. It mainly just hurts whenever I put my weight on it." Bakura grinned slightly despite the dull pain throbbing through his leg. "Trust me, it hurt much more when it happened."

"What exactly _did _happen?" Ryou asked, getting up for a second to grab a bowl to fill with peroxide and the bandages.

"Marik stabbed me with the scalpel I used to remove the bullet from his shoulder." Bakura shrugged slightly. "I have to admit, I didn't really see it coming. I was yelling at him, and all of a sudden, he grabbed my throat and slammed me into the cabinets, grabbing the weapon off of the countertop and stabbed me in the leg."

"So that's what I heard…" Ryou sat back down next to the man. "I thought you guys were just having another one of those fights where you just scream and push each other around a little… But I had no idea he stabbed you…"

"…I guess I deserved it." Bakura shrugged again, inwardly. "I mean, I attacked his most sensitive spot: his feelings about Malik."

"So, you've learned your lesson?" Ryou asked, smiling, just slightly.

Bakura rolled his eyes, but he was grinning.

-

He felt strange, to say the least. His heart felt heavy, and his stomach felt peculiar. _Why do I feel like this?_

"Marik?" The voice drifted from across the room.

Marik blinked as he finally looked up, seeing Malik sitting on the couch. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked worried…

"Marik, are you all right?" Malik stood up, crossing the living room, and made his way over to the stairs, where Marik stood, motionless at the base.

Marik wanted to pull away when Malik grabbed his arm; he cringed at the touch, but he found the willpower to not jerk back.

"Hey… What's the matter? You're shaking." Malik frowned as he glanced into Marik's violet eyes.

"Stop…" Marik's voice came out in a near pleading whisper. "Malik, please, let me go… I don't want you touching me…"

Malik looked slightly hurt when Marik ripped his arm away before making his way past the teenager, and headed for the kitchen. "Marik…" he trailed off, grabbing Marik's wrist as the man went around him.

"Let go of me!" Marik whirled around as he screamed, jerking his arm free, glaring into Malik's eyes. However, something twisted in his stomach as hurt flooded the teen's lavender eyes. He moaned, pressing a hand to his forehead, "Malik… Ugh… I'm sorry, I just…" He raised his eyes heavenward for a moment. "I just… I need some time to think. I feel strange enough as it is, but… Seeing you, it just… It shows me how stupid I am…"

"What do you mean?" Malik asked, blinking in confusion. His brow furrowed. "Marik… You're not stupid-"

"Yes, I am!" Marik nearly screamed, grabbing Malik by the shirt. The teen's eyes widened with surprise, and Marik felt those bubbles in his stomach expanding, rising. He quickly released Malik, taking a step backwards as he held a hand to his forehead. He had a headache… "Malik… I just… I think I need to be alone for a while… I'm sorry, but I just… I feel really weird and weak right now…"

"Marik… What exactly do you feel like? If you tell me, maybe I can help you."

Marik hesitated. He didn't really want to talk about it, but… He bit his lip, looking away. "I just…" He paused, unsure of how to put it. "I don't really know… My chest feels all weird and my stomach… It feels like there's…" He paused, biting his lip harder as he struggled to find the words. "I don't know… It feels kind of like butterflies, I suppose…"

"Marik… Emotions can be funny things."

"…I'm afraid I don't understand." Marik scowled as he finally looked into Malik's eyes again.

"Well… Your heart often feels heavy when you're upset… You know, guilty or depressed or shameful? And sometimes, your stomach feels like it has something crawling around inside of it, usually when you're nervous." Malik frowned, just slightly. "Marik… I'm sure you know what emotions are, but sometimes, I think you just don't remember how to deal with them…"

"Emotions never mattered when you were alone." Marik said softly, gaze glued to the flooring beneath him once more.

"Marik… You have to remember something. You're not alone anymore, remember?" Malik's face became slightly hopeful as he gave a small smile. "You have me now, right?"

"I don't deserve someone like you." Marik took a step back, humiliation and guiltiness glowing in his eyes. "I didn't protect you, even when you've been protecting me. You should hate me for what I've done-"

"Marik, calm down… I don't hate you." Malik rubbed at his arm. "Sure… I do feel differently, but I couldn't hold a grudge against you. Ever."

"But I let him bite you. It was all my fault he came… I failed to protect you, Malik… I'm not good enough for you. I never will be. Someone like you shouldn't have to waste their time on someone like me… After all, I'm just some messed-up shell of a person." Marik's lips twitched into a sad smile, feeling that sensation in his chest grow, his heart feeling heavier than it did moments ago.

"Marik, listen to me." Malik's voice had hardened slightly. "I don't like it when you're so upset like this. You shouldn't be so down all the time. You act as if everything is your fault, but it's the opposite. You just get caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time…"

"Malik, I let him bite you!" Marik screamed, feeling a tightening in his chest. "I let you get hurt, when I swore that I would protect you! You should hate me, just like everyone else! You should hate me for what I let happen to you, and you know it! I let him feast upon you, and now… Now you may have to suffer." Marik's voice cracked, as if he was going to break down at any minute. "Ngh… Malik, you didn't deserve it…"

"Marik…" Malik scooted over, trying to comfort the man. Deep down, however, he was terrified. _What does he mean by that? Suffer how?_

"Malik, don't." Marik inched back, shaking his head. "I don't deserve your comfort or your kind words. All I deserve is the blows Bakura gives me and the things he screams at me, because that's all I'm worthy of. Now…" Marik buried his face in his hands, swearing loudly, "Rgh, Malik, why do I have to be so stupid?! Why can't I be like Bakura?! Why can't I control myself, why can't I laugh, why can't I care, why can't I-"

Marik's eyes widened, his words drying in his throat as he felt Malik's hands settle upon his back. "M-Malik… P-Please, don't…"

"Marik… You need to stop doing this to yourself… It's unhealthy to beat yourself around so much." Malik gave the man a small pat, "Come on, don't be this way… It's going to be all right…"

"Malik…" Marik lifted his head, the man trembling. "Malik, I already told you. I don't deserve you. Not only that… But now… I may have officially ruined your life…"

"What do you mean?" Malik didn't like the fear in Marik's voice. He also didn't like the bubbles of terror blowing up inside of his stomach.

"The feeding means you have a chance of becoming a vampire."

* * *

Chapter 28: End.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Well, I went back and fixed the little mistake someone mentioned, so thanks for telling me! And to the rest of you, thanks for the lovely reviews!

* * *

Malik didn't answer. He couldn't. His mind had gone numb, and he lost the feeling in his body. He just stared at Marik, eyes wide with shock and terror.

"…Malik…" Marik whispered, his heart feeling heavier, as if it was sinking lower with each second. He reached out, trying to place a hand on Malik's arm, but he felt something within him twist when Malik leapt back. The teen didn't even look at him, merely jumping to his feet, and fleeing the scene.

_He's probably terrified… He must hate me now… _Marik weakly curled up into one corner of the couch, feeling tears burning in his eyes. _Not that I can blame him… I might've officially ruined his life…_

He buried his face into the safe cradle of his knees. _I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself if the kid gets transformed into a vampire. Sure, the percentage is low, but it's still possible… I don't think the kid would be able to take it if he was changed into a vamp…_

-

"There we go." Ryou gave Bakura a small pat on the back. "All done."

Bakura scowled down at the bandage about his upper leg, tinted slightly crimson. "Well, at least it'll heal up soon." He swung his leg slightly, grimacing as the dull pain strengthened a bit. "I don't think I should put too much weight on it though. It hurts to really even move it at all…"

"Just take it easy for the night." Ryou put away the materials and tucked the first-aid kit back away under the sink. "You'll recover quicker if you rest."

Bakura pouted, almost like a child who had been denied his wants in a toy store. "Maybe I don't want to."

Ryou blinked when Bakura's sulk suddenly faded, gaze settling on the doorway. Ryou turned slightly on his heel to glance at the doorway, and he froze.

Malik was standing there, silent, tears spilling from already red-rimmed eyes.

"Malik? What's wrong?" Ryou frowned, concerned by his friend's tears.

"R-Ryou…" Malik looked into the albino's chocolate eyes. "C-Can I talk to Bakura alone for a minute?"

This took Ryou by surprise, and apparently, Bakura wasn't expecting it either, for his eyes were wider. "Um… All right. I'll go wait outside…"

Ryou brushed past Malik, who didn't look at him. The albino made his way out into the hall. The door closed behind him, and the teen bit his lip as he went across the hall to the opposite wall, leaning against it before sinking onto the carpeted floor. _I wonder what's going on… Maybe it's about him getting bitten? Or maybe it's Marik…_

-

Bakura watched in silence as Malik closed the door after Ryou left the room. "So… Malik, what exactly is this about?" Bakura asked, frowning.

Bakura's frown deepened when Malik didn't reply, gaze glued to the floor. Bakura growled a little, "Malik, I don't know how you expect me to help you if you don't speak up."

"…Bakura… Is it true that I'm going to be a vampire?" His voice came out smaller than he had hoped…

Bakura sighed heavily, eyes raised heavenward. "Malik… I don't know. There's a chance, but I can't be certain. Sure, purebred vampires may have died out quite a bit, but there's still a possibility that the one that bit you was a purebred."

"How will I know?" Malik asked softly, daring to look into Bakura's eyes.

Bakura swallowed. The teen's eyes were filled with fear and pain… He sighed again, a bit lighter this time. "Malik-"

"Bakura, please… I need to know…" Malik sniffed weakly as he tried to dry away the tears staining his face. "I need some advice in case something happens at home tomorrow…"

_Poor kid. He's obviously terrified… _Bakura bit his lip, pondering it for a moment. "Well… You'll get sick, more than likely, mainly because your body is reacting as it adjusts to needing blood for food. It won't happen right away, but your ears will start pointing, and your reflection will begin to dim when you look into a mirror. You'll also lose your appetite, and you may develop some pains that medication can't numb away."

Malik didn't answer, apparently taking it all in silently.

Bakura suddenly stood up, making sure to put any weight on his injured leg as he made his way over to the quiet blonde. "Malik, tomorrow evening, I need you to call us. If Ryou picks up the phone, tell him you have to to talk to me. You'll have to tell me everything that happened that day; whether or not you had any physical or emotional issues, and tell me if you experienced any of those symptoms I just told you about, okay?"

Malik nodded weakly, not looking into Bakura's crimson eyes. His head was bowed, making his sandy bangs fall into his eyes. He cringed, however, as he felt Bakura clasp a hand on top of his head.

The pale man ruffled Malik's hair gently, "Malik, I know you're scared, but you don't need to be. Ryou and I are here for you, okay?"

* * *

The rest of the night was uneventful. Malik had gone to bed early, saying that he was going to have a long day tomorrow when he made it back home. Marik had vanished, and Bakura had predicted that he was hiding from him, as usual.

It was nearly morning now. Ryou was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for Malik. Bakura was sitting at the kitchen table, holding his head in the palm of one hand, watching the younger vampire cook in silence. The smell of food completely overtook the kitchen.

Bakura's nose wrinkled slightly with disgust. He hated the scent of human food. But he refused to leave the room, because he liked watching Ryou cook. Mainly because when the teen cooked, he always had a big, warm smile on his face, and he sometimes even sang softly to himself. With Bakura being a vampire, he could easily hear the boy's words, and deep down, Ryou's gentle singing voice comforted him… It reminded Bakura a bit of his mother, when she used to sing him to sleep…

Bakura closed his eyes, ears twitching slightly beneath his mane of snowy hair, the digits easily picking up the sound. He sighed soundlessly, memories slowly pushing to the surface of his brain…

"Bakura, can you do me a favor?" Ryou suddenly asked from his place across the kitchen, the teen standing at the stove.

Bakura's eyes flashed open as he was hurtled back into reality. "H-Huh?"

"Can you set the table for me while I finish making this?" Ryou asked, not turning away from his cooking. The teenager didn't ask why Bakura was jumpy, nor did he question the man's stammering.

"O-Oh… Sure." Bakura pushed his chair back as he made his way towards Ryou, easily collecting the two already filled plates into his hands, carrying them over to the table before setting them down. "Ryou, if you don't mind me asking, why did you cook so much for breakfast today?"

"Malik didn't eat dinner last night. He's probably going to be starving when he wakes up." Ryou said, easily and skillfully flipping a pancake.

_That is, if he's still even human… _Bakura kept that thought to himself. He was hoping that Malik didn't become a vampire, but… He couldn't help but worry about the situation.

Footsteps suddenly brought Bakura out of his thoughts. Bakura turned slightly, the gallon of milk in one hand and the carton of orange juice in the other.

Malik was in the doorway, rubbing tiredly at one eye, still appearing half-asleep, his sandy blonde hair matted from his slumber.

Bakura didn't say anything, merely shutting the door of the refrigerator with his bony hip, and lugged the two containers over to the table, setting them down amongst the plates.

"What's all this?" Malik asked, yawning slightly as he entered the kitchen.

"I made you breakfast." Ryou said from his place at the stove, the teen piling the now finished pancakes onto a plate, and carried them over to the table, setting them down beside one of the others. "I knew you'd be hungry, since you didn't eat anything last night, so I went ahead and cooked."

Bakura watched the two teens in silence, the man leaning against the countertop. To his relief, Malik was actually eating the food Ryou had prepared. _Then he hasn't lost his appetite yet… Maybe he won't become a vampire after all…?_

* * *

Bakura moaned as someone roughly shook his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut, burying his face deeper into his pillow, "Go away…"

"Bakura, come on, get up." Ryou frowned, huffing slightly as he placed his hands on his hips. "Come _on_, Bakura, we have to walk Malik home."

Bakura reluctantly rolled over onto his back, rubbing at one eye as he stared up at Ryou. He then turned his gaze to the side table, frowning at the clock: eleven-thirty. The vampire moaned, "But Ryou, it's so _early_-"

"I can't help it, Bakura. He has to be home by noon, and we're supposed to introduce ourselves to his family, remember?"

"If they're even there," Bakura muttered as he sat up. "He said they're never home, remember? So what makes you think they'll even be around?"

"Well… His sister is ill, remember?" Ryou said, stepping back as Bakura proceeded to roll out of bed. "And I doubt Malik's brother would just leave her at the house alone…"

Bakura merely grunted, stripping off his shirt and tossing it onto the floor as he stood up, running a hand through his wild hair. "I'll get changed and we'll go."

Ryou smiled a little, and left the room to give the man his privacy. He then began to head downstairs, finding Malik sitting on the couch, staring blankly at his hands. Ryou frowned at this as he descended the remainder of the steps, "Malik? Are you okay?"

Malik jumped, his eyes wide as he glanced at Ryou. His shoulders sagged slightly. "Oh… Yeah… I'm fine. Just thinking about some things…"

"…Like what, if you don't mind me asking?" Ryou asked as he made his way over to the sofa, sitting down at the teen's side.

"…There's a lot on my mind, actually." Malik's hands clenched. "My family… Marik… This whole vampire situation…"

"Don't stress yourself out over it, Malik… Everything will be all right in the end, I promise." Ryou gave a smile, fangs barely showing past his lips.

"All right, you guys ready to go?" Bakura asked, heading down the stairs. He was wearing his typical tight jeans, and a long-sleeved black shirt, the seams white, easily showing up on the dark fabric. He held his cloak in one arm.

Ryou frowned, "Bakura, why do you have your cloak? It's cloudy-"

"It doesn't hurt to be cautious." Bakura said as he descended the remainder of the steps, boots thudding. He rubbed at his eye again, barely containing an exhausted yawn. "Ugh, I'm tired… You might have to carry me back here, Ryou."

"You wish." Ryou smiled slightly. "I can barely lift you off the floor… I doubt I could actually lug you back here."

"Maybe if you started working out that wouldn't be too much of an issue," Bakura replied, lips twitching into that of an amused smirk.

"Oh, you're so _funny." _Ryou rolled his eyes, but he couldn't contain the smile on his face.

"I know." Bakura made his way towards the foyer, and took a glance over his shoulder, "So, are you guys coming or not?"

* * *

Bakura was silent during the walk to Malik's house. He didn't know the way, so he merely let Ryou and Malik lead, the two teens talking about a wide range of subjects, smiling and laughing. Most of the time they spoke of things Bakura didn't fully comprehend; things like their school, for example. This secretly made Bakura feel a little left out, but he didn't mention his feelings. _Just let them have their fun._

He kicked at a lone pebble that had rolled onto the sidewalk from one of the neighboring lawns. His black boots scuffed slightly at the somewhat uneven, gritty concrete, but he didn't really notice.

"Okay, this is it…" Malik suddenly stopped, and so did Ryou. Bakura, having his gaze fixed upon the sidewalk, nearly crashed into the pair as he came to a halt, but thankfully, he managed to realize what was going on before that happened.

Bakura scowled at the abode before him. The small house sat on a lonely piece of land, the cheap, metal fence meeting the sidewalk rusted and caving in. The lawn seemed to be dying slightly from the lack of watering, and the front steps had weeds growing from the cracks. Bakura also noticed the patched up roof and the chipping paint, and he felt something stir in his stomach. _He wasn't exactly lying to Ryou when he said his place was a dump, was he?_

Malik seemed uncomfortable as he managed to rip open the rusted metal gate, but he didn't speak. He silently led the two albinos up the ratty walkway and up to the front porch. He took a moment to dig through the pockets of his jeans, finally extracting a small, faded key, before proceeding to unlock the door. He stepped into the darkened abode, the two vampires quietly following.

Bakura inspected the foyer without words with Ryou at his side. The smaller of the two vampires held a bag in his arms, containing several cans of food and the leftovers from breakfast. The albino teenager didn't have a problem giving the provisions away; besides, it wasn't like anyone in the Bakura household was going to eat it, with everyone being vampires, so why let it go to waste?

"Rishid, I'm home." Malik's voice echoed slightly in the dull, silent dwelling. The blonde frowned. "Rishid?"

"Here." The reply was quiet and void of emotion, drifting from a location that didn't seem too far away.

Malik gave the two albinos a quick glance, "I'll be right back. Make yourselves at home, okay?"

Bakura watched the boy run off to the other end of the small abode, vanishing into the dark. Once the teen was out of hearing range, Bakura snorted. "Well, he wasn't lying about his place, that's for sure."

"Bakura, that's rude." Ryou frowned up at the taller vampire. "Don't make fun of him like that."

"Sorry, Ryou, but it's true…" Bakura sighed as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his tight, black jeans. "I kind of feel sorry for him though. It's obvious he isn't getting the best at this place. He's obviously going hungry, and this place… It's not exactly the best place a kid should be living in."

"I know, but…" Ryou trailed off into silence as Malik's voice started coming closer, along with his footsteps.

"Come on, I want you to meet them!" Malik appeared then, pulling a much bigger man behind him by the hand. The teen made it back into the foyer, finally releasing the male's hand, before motioning slightly in Ryou's direction, "Rishid, this is Ryou, my friend from school. The other one is Bakura."

Bakura kept silent, eyeing the man in silence. He was bigger than the vampire; both taller and sturdier. But Bakura could sense that this person wouldn't dare to hurt anyone… He could see it in his eyes. And although the male looked exhausted, he still seemed alert.

Rishid suddenly nodded, speaking in that quiet, almost emotionless voice, "I must thank you. Master Malik hasn't had very many friends."

Malik scowled up at him. "Rishid, I told you to stop that. You're my brother, not a slave to me-"

"Excuse me, may I interrupt?" Bakura suddenly spoke, eyeing Rishid. "I need to have a word with you in private, if that's all right."

The man merely nodded. Bakura took it that he wasn't a talkative type. The albino followed him as he began to head off in a different direction, leading him to a different room apparently.

Malik watched them leave, before turning back to Ryou. "Come on, let's go in the kitchen. I'm sure that stuff is getting heavy by now."

-

"I want Malik to come live with me and Ryou." Bakura didn't hesitate. There was no point in beating around the bush. "Look. Malik loves you and his sister a lot, apparently, but I just think he deserves better… I know he isn't eating enough, and he isn't exactly happy here, I bet. Sure, the ones he loves live here, but he never really gets to see either of you. He's probably lonely and in a lot of pain, having to always be by himself."

"…I know. There's only so much we can do."

"That's why I think he should come and live with us for a while. We all talked about it, and Ryou and I think it's for the best. Malik is a bit reluctant to leave, but… I think he knows the truth, deep down…"

"…You're sure this won't be an issue for you or Ryou?"

"I'm positive." Bakura leaned forward from his place on the cracked leather couch, arms draped across his thighs. "Look. Having another person living with us won't be a struggle at all. And it'll be better for Malik. He won't go hungry, he'll always have someone around to talk to, and I'm sure he'll be happier. He won't be as stressed out. Trust me. He's worried to death about the social worker grabbing him, and his sister's illness is really eating away at him. He doesn't do a thing but worry, and I think he needs to be happier, you know?"

The man gave a mute nod, gaze fixed upon his hands. "…And I don't really wish for Master Malik to be around if Isis doesn't pull through."

"What?" Bakura's eyes were wide. "It's…that serious?"

Rishid nodded silently. "We can't afford a doctor. I'm doing the best I can, but… I may not be good enough." He looked up to stare into Bakura's eyes, "But please, do not tell Master Malik about this."

"I understand… He's under enough stress already."

Rishid suddenly stood up. "I'll have Malik pack tonight. He can walk home with Ryou tomorrow after school."

-

Ryou silently stacked the cans into the cupboard. Malik was being strangely quiet; he guessed that he was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between Bakura and his brother, mainly because they were only in the next room.

"…Do you think he'll agree to it?" Malik suddenly asked, turning to Ryou.

"I think so. I mean… He probably wants what's best for you. And not to be rude, but I think he realizes that you staying here isn't exactly the best thing…"

"I know what you mean." Malik sighed. "I know this place is junky, I know that I'm not getting what I need living here… But I've never really minded, you know? Mainly because… Even those this place is a dump… It's better than the living underground like I did in Egypt." He sighed. "Never being able to see the sun, or other people… It was horrible. It was like jail to me. I think that's one reason I find this place tolerable: because I actually have some freedom. And I think that's what keeps me sane."

"Malik… A lot of times we feel caged like that. But having a sanctuary… It can really help you out when you start to feel that way."

"Ryou… What exactly is your haven?"

Ryou hesitated for a moment, before answering softly, "Bakura." He sighed a little, "He… He's always been there for me. He never fails to comfort me, or to make me feel like I actually belong. He helps me when I need it, and he's there when I need him." A small smile came to the teen's face. "But I guess spending over ten years with someone does that to you."

* * *

Chapter 29: End.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: I'm sorry this update took so long! D': I'm back in school and I haven't had as much time to write, which makes me sad... As for my classes, well, I'm okay with pretty much everything except my maths teacher. He's like, sixty-something and can never stay on one topic (as in, first it's about an equation, then politics, then candy, then back to the equation.) So yeah, it annoys me. And I'm taking classes for learning second language, which is going pretty good actually. I can actually remember the stuff they're teaching me! :'D Anyway, I'll try to work on my writing as much as possible, but I can't promise that my updates will be as speedy as they used to be, but they'll come eventually!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

As soon as they had made it back home from dropping Malik off, both of the two vampires had instantly retired to bed, both of them dreadfully exhausted. And now the phone was dragging Bakura out of his deep sleep.

The man groaned, nose wrinkling in a slight snarl of irritation as he rolled over onto his side whilst dragging a clawed, pale hand through his matted hair. He reached out towards the still ringing cordless phone, picking it up in one hand before turning it on. With his cheek pressed into the pillow, he fuzzily asked, "Hello?"

"B-Bakura?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded teary and hurt, but Bakura recognized it in an instant.

"Malik?" Bakura made his way into a sitting position, the blankets slipping down to his waist as he did so. In an instant he forgot his annoyance, and felt himself suddenly become more alert.

"I-I'm sorry to disturb you. I knew you and Ryou were probably still asleep, seeing that it's not quite dusk yet, but I had to call you." Malik sounded like he was on the edge of tears.

"Malik, what's going on? What happened?" Panic suddenly bit down into Bakura's heart, his crimson eyes wide.

Malik was crying by now, sobbing uncontrollably on the other end of the phone line. "It happened. Bakura, it happened…"

Icy fear squeezed Bakura's heart as his crimson eyes grew even wider. "Malik, when did it start? I need to know _everything_ that happened…"

"Rishid was making dinner, and he accidentally cut himself with the knife." Malik's grew softer. "I could smell it, Bakura, but I didn't react to it or anything like you and Ryou do. And nothing really happened until after I ate. I got sick, and now I have this really bad headache, and it _really_ hurts. It feels like a severe migraine, so I took some pills not too long ago, but it still hurts." Malik sniffed weakly on the other end of the phone. "Bakura, I don't want to wind up being a vampire… Please… Just tell me how to make it stop…"

Bakura's heart felt like it had dropped into the soles of his feet, and yet it was pounding beyond painfully. "Malik… I'm sorry, but… I can't make it stop. There's no way to change what has already occurred-"

"But I don't want to end up this way!" Malik was sobbing uncontrollably again, sounding like he was close to hyperventilation.

"Malik, listen to me!" Bakura nearly screamed into the black, cordless phone, his long, bony fingers tightening about the hard plastic. "You have to calm down! It's going to be okay, I promise!"

Suddenly, Bakura lost contact. He couldn't hear Malik crying anymore. Bakura scowled as he heard a thud, and he spoke into the receiver again, "Malik?"

He strained to listen for anything on the other line. Vaguely, he could hear coughing, and then a sickening noise, and Bakura knew he was throwing up. This only made his heart sink lower, and he bit his lip, knowing that Malik had apparently dropped the phone.

A few seconds later he heard the toilet flush, and Malik's voice reached his ears again, "I'm sorry… Are you still there?"

"…Yeah." Bakura felt numb. He knew that Malik was rapidly changing into a vampire, but he didn't wish to believe it. "Malik… How long ago did this start?"

"…T-Twenty minutes, I think?" Malik sniffed weakly. "B-Bakura… Why? I don't want to end up a vampire… Please… Please, tell me that I'm not going to wind up as a vampire… _Please…"_

_He sounds so heartbroken. _Bakura's entire body felt heavy, especially his heart. _Just like Ryou did when this happened to him as well…_

"Bakura, answer me… Please, tell me this isn't real…"

Bakura's grip tightened further on the phone. "Malik… I'm sorry, but… You are going to wind up as a vampire. You have all the signs, and with the incident that happened…" Bakura sighed softly, closing his crimson eyes. "I'm sorry, Malik, but there's no way to stop it. You've been changed, and that's how it has to be."

The last thing he heard as Malik choke on his tears before the line went silent.

Bakura sighed heavily as he realized Malik had hung up on him. He reluctantly hung up after, and set the phone back into its cradle, before moaning and burying his face into his hands. His heart was aching, and so was his head. _First Ryou and now Malik… The kid is probably terrified, and he has to go through this alone… There's no way he can tell his family about this… So what can we do?_

"Bakura, what's wrong?"

Bakura lifted his head out of the cradle of his hands to find Ryou standing in the doorway of his bedroom, rubbing one eye. He looked half-asleep, his hair matted from his slumber, and his pajamas full of wrinkles. Bakura looked away. How was he going to tell Ryou about this…?

"Kura?" Ryou's voice dropped slightly with worry, his brow creasing. "What's going on…?"

"Come here." Bakura didn't look at Ryou when he spoke, but the boy padded over quietly without any other questions. Bakura finally looked up, but he didn't look into Ryou's eyes as he reached out and pulled Ryou onto the bed.

Ryou's eyes were full of confusion, and they widened slightly when Bakura suddenly pulled him close in a tight embrace. Ryou frowned when he noticed how cold Bakura felt… "Kura, what's wrong?"

With his chin rested upon Ryou's shoulder, Bakura finally forced himself to speak up. "Ryou…" His arms tightened about Ryou's skinny form. "Malik… He was bitten by a purebred."

Ryou lurched back instantly, tearing himself out of Bakura's embrace, and he scooted back, chocolate eyes wide and locked onto Bakura's crimson ones. "W-What are you talking about?"

"Ryou… Malik has been transformed. His structure is changing as we speak, and he has all the correct symptoms…" Bakura reached out and placed his hands on Ryou's shoulders. "Malik is a vampire, Ryou."

"N-No. No… Y-You're lying…" Ryou's eyes were up to the brim with tears, and his chin was trembling as he struggled to contain them. "You're lying!" he screamed, clamping his eyes shut, a river of tears instantly breaking from his eyes and cascading down his cheeks. "You're_ lying_!"

"Ryou… You know that I don't ever lie to you." Bakura tried to place a hand on Ryou's arm, but the boy lurched away as if Bakura's touch was poison. "Ryou…"

"B-Bakura, stop… Please… T-This is just a sick joke you're playing on me, and I want it to stop… P-Please, tell me you're only messing with my head…" Ryou looked into the man's eyes, his own spilling tears. "_Please_…"

"No, Ryou. This is reality… I wouldn't lie to you about something like this…" Bakura's eyes held regret when he said this, and he couldn't bear to look into Ryou's hurt-filled orbs anymore as Ryou's once weak cries erupted into sobs. The only thing he could do was reach out and take the teen into his arms as he cried.

They never noticed Marik hiding about the doorframe.

Wordlessly the blonde turned away, making a silent retreat from his hiding spot to the stairs. He wrapped his arms almost protectively about his middle as he descended the steps, head bowed.

_I can't stay here any longer. I'm nothing but trouble… _Marik stepped down the final stair and made his way automatically towards the kitchen. _I know you want to help me, Malik, but I only keep getting you hurt._

He walked into the kitchenette, this time going around the table in the center of the room and instead made his way towards the drawers. He ripped it open, rummaging through it before extracting a knife. Cradling it in one hand he made his way to a free space of floor, and sat down, cross-legged.

He stared at the knife for a moment. It wasn't that large, but it was sharp. He knew it would hurt. His lips twitched into the slightest smirk. _I'm sure I deserve more pain than what I'm about to feel._

Bracing himself, he lifted the glimmering blade, before roughly stabbing into his arm. He hissed with pain as he tore the blade through the flesh, arching his back as he unmercifully ripped through his skin, going as deep as he could. Tears burned at the very back of his eyes as blood overflowed down his arm, and yet the blonde continued to carve through his flesh, his hands and arms trembling as his life substance flowed down his arm and onto the floor and onto his pants.

Finally, a minute or two later he ripped out the now bloodied knife, letting it clatter to the tiled floor, sending droplets of crimson onto the floorboards.

He stared at the enormous river of blood that was pouring from his immense cut, and although he felt a dizzy and his arm was viciously pounding with pain, his heart didn't hurt as much anymore.

He dipped a clawed finger into the stream of blood, successfully coating it, before beginning to write against the tile in his blood, the crimson letters easily popping out from the white tiles.

Finally, when he finished, he brought his arm to his lips, hungrily licking at his arm, drinking up the fallen crimson. He then brought his tongue over his nasty wound, sealing it, but his arm continued to throb.

Leaving the knife on the floor, he carefully stepped over the letters of blood and made his way into the living room. Taking only a moment to pull on his shoes and his coat, he slipped outside, closing the door silently behind him, before heading up the driveway towards the fence.

* * *

Ryou had composed himself not too long after he began crying. He was currently curled up against Bakura in one corner of the couch, the cordless phone lying on the little table that stood next to the arm of the sofa. They had been sitting there for nearly half an hour, just seated in silence.

"I thought you said you were going to call him," Bakura commented, lifting his head up from its resting place on top of Ryou's fluffy head. "He probably wants to talk to someone… I mean, he's going through this alone…"

Ryou bit his lip, fangs successfully drawing a bit of blood.

"Ryou, call him. You're his friend, and he needs help right now." Bakura proceeded to rest his chin back atop of Ryou's head, "You know he does, Ryou."

Ryou sighed softly and picked up the phone in his hand, clicking it on, and almost reluctantly began to punch in Malik's number. He then lifted the phone to his ear, and he blinked when he realized Bakura's chest wasn't moving as much. He figured out that Bakura had lowered his breathing so that he could try to hear what Malik would be saying on the other end of the line.

Finally, after several rings, someone picked up. "Hello?"

Ryou knew it was Malik in an instant. However, it bothered him how upset and teary the teen sounded… "Hey, Malik. It's Ryou…"

For a moment, nothing greeted him but silence, but then he heard Malik sniff weakly, before the teen spoke, "Bakura told you then, huh?"

"…Yeah." Ryou bit his lip. Malik sounded really upset… "Malik… Do the others know about it?"

"W-Well, they don't know I'm becoming a vampire, but… Rishid found out that I was throwing up, so I'm not going to school tomorrow… But he thinks I've just caught a virus from Isis or something…"

"Well, Bakura and I can come pick you up… We can even come over now, if you want…" Ryou looked up into Bakura's face, a bit relieved when Bakura nodded.

"Yeah, that would be nice… Rishid left for work not too long ago and Isis is barely ever awake because she's sick, so it's been too quiet over here. And I just… I really need to talk to someone who actually knows what's going on, you know?"

Ryou nodded, even though he knew Malik wouldn't be able to see it. "Okay, well… Do you have all your bags packed? If you do, then you can stay the night. Bakura won't mind, I'm sure."

"Yeah. Rishid was going to have me put all the stuff in my locker, but since I'm not going tomorrow, I think you guys coming early would be a better idea." For a moment, Malik paused, as if hesitating. "Hey… Is it okay if I talk to Marik for a second? I just want to tell him that I'm going to be coming early."

"Hmm? Oh, okay, sure… Hold on a moment." Ryou pulled back, cupping a hand over the speaker as he spoke to Bakura, "Hey, Bakura, have you seen Marik? Malik wants to talk to him for a moment."

Bakura seemed thoughtful for a second, before a scowl came over his features. "You know… I haven't seen him in quite a while." He slid out from his place on the sofa and stood up, heading towards the stairs. "I'll go look for him. Check in the kitchen for me to see if he's there, okay?"

"Okay." Ryou stood up before releasing his hold over the speaker. "Hey, Malik, are you still there? …Okay. Well, we're looking for him. I think he's hiding, because we haven't seen him in a while…" Ryou made his way into the doorway of the kitchen, "It's a little strange how he only comes out when you're…around…"

The phone fell from Ryou's hand and onto the floor. _"Bakura!"_

* * *

Bakura had bolted downstairs the instant Ryou's scream had reached his ears. He charged down the steps and slid into the doorway of the kitchen, eyes wide as he noticed Ryou sitting hunched over on the floor, shaking, the black phone rocking slightly on its back, abandoned on the tile. "Ryou, what's going on?"

Bakura noticed that the instant he made it into the doorway, he was hit with the overpowering smell of blood. He blinked when Ryou pointed to the corner, and frowning, Bakura glanced in the same direction, before his eyes widened.

The floor was drenched with drying blood. It was _everywhere._

Icy fear leapt from the pits of Bakura's stomach and latched onto his heartstrings instantly. He slowly made his way towards the scene, stopping before the large sum of crimson. He felt somewhat numb as he stared down at it, seeing the measureable puddle of blood and the bloodstained knife cast upon the tiled floor. He could even see writing made up of the substance, easily showing on the white tiles. Bakura swallowed as the fear enclosed his heart.

'_Malik, I'm sorry. I don't deserve you. I'm leaving without a goodbye, and I know it'll hurt you, but I've already caused you much more pain than you've needed. I just wish I could actually be sane enough, be worthy enough, be strong enough, for you, Malik. But I'm not. And this is why I can't stay any longer. I don't belong anywhere. That's why I can't stand this world any longer. After realizing I got you turned into a vampire, I realized that I'm just making things worse. Goodbye, Malik. Thanks for your help, but I was just too worthless for you.'_

Bakura's stomach lurched as realization struck him full force. _He heard me on the phone. He knows and now he's run away to go eliminate himself… _Bakura's knees felt weak, and his head ached, his heart thudding painfully with fear. _How am I going to tell Malik about this…?_

For some reason, he felt weak. He gripped the countertop with one hand in an attempt to steady himself, but his legs trembled beneath him, his vision blurring, the scent of blood hovering over his brain like a fog.

The stress was just too much for the man.

Bakura's knees finally buckled beneath him, and he felt his hands slipping from the counter. The last thing he saw was Ryou's worried face and wide eyes before he collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.

"B-Bakura!" Ryou scrambled over as the man hit the floor, crumpling. Ryou made his way over, biting his lip as he struggled to roll Bakura onto his back.

Bakura's hair hid most of his face; the white locks fell over his eyes like a curtain. Ryou brushed them away, his mocha orbs widening slightly as he noticed that Bakura's eyes were still open, just slightly, but not only were his pupils not dilating, but the orbs were glazed over a little. Beads of sweat showed on the man's neck and underneath his bangs.

Ryou hesitantly took the man's hand in his own, jumping at how _cold _it was. Still, he held onto the man's hand as he struggled to heft Bakura onto his feet. He managed to drape one of his arms about his shoulder as he struggled to his feet, grunting from the effort.

Bakura's head hung forward, causing a curtain of white hair to hide his face from view once more, his mouth slightly open as Ryou pulled him into an upright position.

Ryou struggled into the living room before managing to drape Bakura across the couch. Bakura's head instantly rolled to one side, his bangs still in the way, and limbs limp and useless. Ryou took a moment to brush the man's snowy locks out of his eyes, staring down at the older vampire for a long moment before it struck him.

_Malik! _Ryou leapt to his feet and charged into the kitchen, fetching the black phone from the floor. He was surprised it didn't break from the impact… He hurriedly pressed the device against an ear, "Malik? Malik, are you still there?"

"…Yeah." Malik's voice held confusion and worry as he spoke. "Ryou… what's going on? There's something wrong, isn't there?"

Ryou hesitated. What was he supposed to say? Sure, after reading the note written in blood he knew what had happened, but he didn't want to tell Malik that Marik had left to take himself out… _So what do I do?_

"Ryou? Ryou, please, what's going on?"

"Malik… I don't really know anymore. Bakura just collapsed in the kitchen as he fainted after…" Ryou gulped. He had to tell Malik, and he knew it. "After I… I found Marik's note on the floor."

"…Note…?" Malik's voice sounded smaller than usual, and Ryou could sense the fear he felt. "W-What note?"

Ryou took in a shaky breath, "It… It was written in his own blood on the kitchen floor, Malik. He snuck out, and he's not coming back… He was saying that…he may even eliminate himself-"

"No! No, he can't!" Malik cut Ryou off in an instant, sobbing. "Ryou, stop! Please, he can't just go like this! He _can't! _Why would he leave like this?"

"He said he didn't wish to cause you pain any longer and that he doesn't belong… Malik, he didn't think he deserved you… He didn't think he deserved anyone… He thought everyone would be better off without him-"

"That's not true! I need him, Ryou! I _need _him!" Malik was sobbing uncontrollably on the other end of the line. "He knew that I cared! He _knew _I didn't care what others thought, he _knew _I only wished to help him! So why would he leave like this? Why would he just leave me behind?"

"Malik… He found out that you've been changed into a vampire."

Once more, the line went silent. Malik had hung up.

-

Malik dropped the phone onto the floorboards of the bathroom before wrapping his skinny arms about his middle, lowering his head onto his knees as tears cascaded down his tanned face.

He felt sick, and his heart hurt. Why? Why would Marik just leave him like that, when he knew he cared? When he knew all he wished to do was help him and be his friend?

Bile suddenly forced its way into Malik's throat, and the teen scooted over to the toilet again, gagging before emptying what very little was left in his stomach. He then proceeded to flush the toilet, but he didn't get up. Instead he rested his head against the ratty cabinets, closing his lavender eyes.

He was scared. Not only was he going through this alone, but now Marik was gone, and he didn't have any idea of where he was or what he was doing… And how was he supposed to hide this from his family? There was no way he could keep it a secret forever, especially when he became like Ryou and couldn't attend school anymore…

Slowly, he made his way to his feet, dragging the cordless phone with him as he exited the tiny bathroom. He made his way down the hall, feeling a flutter of pure terror as he heard coughing from his sister's room.

_She's not getting any better. Rishid said she would get well again, but she's only getting worse… Why would he lie to me about this? _Malik's bony hand tightened about the cheap, plastic phone. _Why is everything about me either lies or tragedy?_

He made his way into his bedroom, which was just slightly larger than the bathroom was. It wasn't like he had very much to put in it; his bed, a dresser for his very few outfits, and a cracked mirror.

The dull, white walls were spruced up a little by some pictures and a few posters, most of which were gifts from Ryou. Ryou always dragged a sketchbook with him to lunch, and he often asked Malik for a request. And whenever he finished, he would rip the drawing out and give it to him as a little gift.

Looking at them always made him feel a little better, to know that he still had at least one friend, one person who still cared…

He collapsed onto his bed, which creaked slightly from his weight, and he merely rolled onto his back to stare at the old ceiling with his arms folded behind his head, staring at it through saddened eyes.

_Sometimes I just wish I could be someone else._

Tears escaped Malik's lavender eyes as he rolled onto his side, the saline water spilling onto his pillowcase. He curled up into a ball, yanking the worn, black blanket over himself.

"_We can't stay here anymore, Malik. We have to leave."_

"_But…" He looked up, his big, lavender eyes growing even wider at the visible hurt on Rishid's face. Isis wasn't looking at him either… "I don't…"_

"_I know it doesn't make sense right now… It will later. Just listen to us, okay?" His sister grabbed his hand. "Okay?"_

_Malik looked up at Rishid as he took his other one into his own, both of his older siblings tightly squeezing, so he decided to grasp them tighter as well, not protesting as the older two led him up the stairs of the home he knew so well and towards a world he knew nothing of._

Malik sniffed weakly as he curled up further on his bed. _Ever since they died and we left Egypt nothing has been peaceful._

He just wanted to scream. He just wanted someone to talk to, someone to reassure him that everything would be okay… He needed_ someone_…

With a weak cry Malik buried his face into the pillow, clamping his eyes shut, his entire body shaking with harsh sobs.

* * *

Chapter 30: End.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: This would've been up this morning, but I was at a friend's house today. Sorry. (But I had so much fun while I was there. :'D) And to _Living Like Im Not Alive:_ thank you _so _much for all the reviews! To know that someone read the entire thing through like that really makes my day better, so thank you very much. To the rest of you, your reviews always make me feel so happy, and without you, I would be nowhere! Thanks!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"I haven't seen you in a quite a while. I'm guessing Bakura hasn't let you too far out of his sight then?"

Marik lifted his gaze slightly to glare the man in the face, nose wrinkled into a snarl. "Don't you get me started. Just shut up. I told you not to mention him to me, didn't I? Why can't you just listen for once?"

"Calm down. I'm just messing with you." The man gave the tiniest smile in a hope that it would be reassuring, but he felt a flutter in his stomach when Marik's eyes only narrowed further.

"Then just knock it off. If I wanted people screwing with my mind I would've just stayed at home." Marik paused, heaving a sigh before he spoke again, "But it's not even home anymore. I don't want to be there, I hate seeing the people living in that place… I just can't stay any longer, Yami. I can't _take_ it anymore."

Yami hesitated, surveying Marik with his dark, nearly garnet colored eyes. "Marik… Are you sure this is what you want? I mean… Don't you think someone is going to miss you?"

"No one is going to!" Marik nearly screamed. "Why do you think I left?! Everyone hates me-"

"No, they don't." Yami sighed as he leaned back slightly, running a hand through his bangs, "Marik… I think you've just become paranoid because you've been around Bakura for too long. Always having someone talk down to you or get into a fight with you isn't really a good thing, at all. It's stressful, and it eats away at your self-esteem…" The man bit his lip slightly, "Marik… There has to be _someone_ you can go to for help…"

_Malik. _Marik lowered his eyes, feeling a large sum of guilt suddenly pouring into him. _Malik always tried to help. And now I've run away from him… What's he going to do when he finds out?_

"…Just get me another drink," Marik finally said, his voice lowered. "I don't want to think about anything right now."

Yami didn't reply, merely obeying the man's command. He observed the blonde out of the corner of his eye, however, as he dug through the shelves. Marik was hunched over, back to the world, his eyes somewhat unfocused as he stared down at his empty glass…

_So I was right. There is someone. He doesn't want this, I can tell… Whoever that person is, he doesn't want to leave them, but he feels cornered… He thinks the only thing he can do now is to run away and inflict pain upon himself, mainly because of the way Bakura treats him. _Yami pushed the glass across the greenish countertop, leaning upon it on his elbows, "Marik… Where are you going to go when you leave here?" he asked softly, brow creasing as he frowned.

"…I don't know." Marik's nose wrinkled at the taste of the strong vodka, which tasted absolutely horrid due to his vampirism. "I'll probably go in some alley and just see what happens from there…"

"Marik, you shouldn't-"

"Look, just leave me alone, okay?" Marik snarled, fingers tight on the glass. "It's not your choice, so just drop the subject."

Yami opened his mouth to object, but Marik glared at him, taking a deep swig of the strong substance. He closed his mouth then, realizing Marik was right. _It isn't my decision. But… He just can't take himself out like this. He just can't…_

Marik's gaze flicked back up to Yami, the bridge of his nose crinkled with disgust at the alcohol. He watched the shorter man clean some of the glasses, not looking at him anymore. _Bakura and I used to come in here all the time… Nearly seventeen years we've all known each other, and Yami still doesn't know that we're vampires…_

_Well… Bakura and I used to come here nearly every night. He would mainly be the one who wanted to go to the bar, but I had to go too so that if he totally lost himself the results wouldn't be as bad…_

_That was five years before he met Ryou. He was lonely and angry at the world, I knew… He would drown his inner sorrows in alcohol, and sometimes I would hear him talking to himself or crying in the early hours of the morning._

_Back before Ryou he hated everything, including himself…_

Marik sighed softly to himself, resting his chin upon his arms.

"_Bakura, you need to stop… You've already had too many-"_

"_Mind your own business!" Bakura snarled, shoulders hunched forward and his back to the world. The vampire's eyes were bloodshot, narrowed as he glared into Marik's direction._

_The paler of the two snorted then, turning his attention back onto the vodka he had ordered. The taste was horrid, but he knew it was working, for his world felt bleary and somewhat lighter on his shoulders…_

_Bakura hated going to the bar, because it only made him feel even more like dirt, and yet he always went. And whenever he went to the bar he dressed in his dark, tight clothes and his charcoal trench coat, and he proceeded to drown his woes in nothing but alcoholic drinks. It…seemed like it was the only thing that helped him maintain his sanity…_

_Marik merely bit his lip, gazing down at the still full drink before him, not wanting to look at the man before him._

Marik bit his lip, successfully drawing some blood from his sharp canines. _He had to go to the bathroom, but he never found out that I followed him…_

Marik didn't notice Yami staring at him.

_Bakura was sobbing uncontrollably in front of the large mirror above the sinks. He had his palms splayed across the white counter, his shoulders hunched forward, a curtain of white hair falling over his face. He lifted his head to stare into the mirror, feeling he had been stabbed in the stomach when he didn't see anything but the empty bathroom._

"_You're so worthless." Tears ran down his face as he stared into the blank mirror. "You're a good-for-nothing, low-down, miserable, depressed, piece of trash!"_

_There was a sickening thud as Bakura slammed his fist into the glass, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs, eyes narrowed into a glare._

"_You're so weak!" He punched the glass again, cracks spreading through the surface. "What is _wrong_ with you?! How can you be so stupid, so different, that you can't find one person that can even tolerate you?!"_

_With a choked cry, Bakura slammed his shaking fist once more into the mirror. Cracks exploded through the glass, and blood oozed from Bakura's knuckles._

_The vampire lowered his head, shoulders trembling as tears ran down his face. He weakly raised his hand again, driving it faintly into the mirror._

_Marik stood unnoticed in the doorway of the restroom._

"Marik. Marik, hey, I'm talking to you!"

The blonde's head shot up, his shadowed violet eyes wide. "W-What?"

Yami sighed, running a hand through his blonde bangs. "Marik… You don't belong out here. You need to go home… I can tell you're thinking about some people, and I know this isn't what you want. So go on back-"

"No. I'll make my own decisions, thank you," he growled, eyes narrowed. "It's not like I belong at that household, either."

But the image of Bakura sobbing, punching the mirror, was fresh in his mind's eye. Marik knew what was going to happen if he really carried this out… _Bakura will probably go insane thinking he was the one who made this happen… Even with Ryou, he may not be the same. He might start taking out his negative emotions on Ryou instead of me… And I know Bakura didn't always hit me because he was angry at _me_. Instead, he sometimes relived the past when he saw me before him…_

_And Malik… _Marik felt sick even thinking about it. _What's going to happen to him if I vanish?_

-

Bakura's eyes slowly fluttered open, staring blankly up at the ceiling. His head hurt, and he felt sick. He turned his head to one side, inspecting the room through tired eyes. _W… What happened?_

His crimson eyes widened as realization struck him. He gasped as he sat bolt upright, remembering in an instant how he had fainted in the kitchen after finding Marik's note that had been written in blood.

He struggled to return his breathing to normal, his heart still pounding against his ribcage. He was a bit surprised to find himself sitting on the living room sofa, a thick black blanket draped over his body…

"B-Bakura? Y-You're awake?"

Bakura's head snapped in the direction of the voice, which was Ryou, the teenager standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his chocolate eyes wider than usual, and his slender hand pressed against the frame of the gap. "R-Ryou… Ryou, how long have I been out of it?"

Ryou walked across the living room and towards the couch, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch, which was where a large amount of space remained, "Nearly two hours, I think."

Bakura bit his lip. He could tell Ryou had been crying, for his chocolate eyes were outlined with red and the lids were swollen… "R-Ryou, I'm sorry-"

"For what?" Ryou looked up, face strangely void of emotion. "It wasn't your fault you passed out like that."

"Ryou…" Bakura knew Ryou was greatly upset. He could just tell… Having raised Ryou since he was just a little boy, he could easily see through Ryou's walls and deep down beneath the surface… "Ryou, it's just… These past few days have been really stressful for me… With you, Marik, and Malik, and my own issues… I guess I just got too drained… I'm really sorry… I know this must be really hard on you too, and I can tell you're upset, but trust me… Everything will be all right in the end, I promise…"

Ryou didn't reply, not meeting Bakura's gaze, but the older man could see the hurt and sadness in his eyes.

"Ryou…" Bakura leaned forward, reaching out and gently taking Ryou's slender body into a small hug. He could feel Ryou trembling against him, and the man decided not to speak. This time, his actions spoke louder than his words did.

"Kura… I'm sorry…" Ryou's voice sounded teary, but Bakura couldn't tell if he was actually crying, for his face was buried in his shirt. "But… I just don't…"

Bakura wasn't sure of what was going on. Ryou had suddenly lifted his head, tears swelling in the big mocha orbs, the boy scooting closer until he was so close he was practically sitting upon Bakura's lap. Suddenly he held out his arms, wrapping them about Bakura. The man frowned, and thinking the boy was hugging him, he made a move to return the embrace, but he froze when Ryou jerked up his head, pushing his face underneath some of Bakura's messy hair, and licked Bakura's neck.

The crimson tint that had pushed into Ryou's irises was left unnoticed.

Ryou bit into the side of Bakura's throat, hard. He tilted his head, blood flowing from the bite and into his mouth, which he swallowed near instantly.

Bakura's eyes were open wide, his lips slightly parted. He had composed himself by now, but he merely sat there, letting Ryou feed, knowing that would both help crave his hunger and help him through his emotions.

But when Ryou didn't stop after a minute or so, Bakura's felt a stab of fear in his heart.

The man pushed against Ryou's front, trying to remove the teen from him as gently as possible, "R-Ryou stop…"

Ryou gave a small growl of protest, biting harder into Bakura's neck, in turn earning a greater stream of blood. His hands curled about Bakura's forearms as he slammed the older vampire into the sofa, sitting upon the man's legs.

Bakura tensed, realizing something was wrong. Bracing himself, he jerked his head in the opposite direction. He let out a hiss of pain, arching his back, as he felt Ryou's fangs drag through the flesh upon his neck. He managed to get his throat free, however, and he clasped a hand over the marks, which was pouring blood, mainly because the bite had become a wound due to Ryou's fangs dragging through the skin. Bakura's breathing had increased slightly as he struggled to ignore the pain that was pulsing in his neck. The man looked up into Ryou's face, his eyes growing wide as his gaze locked onto Ryou's own orbs, his stomach dropping. _Oh no…_

Ryou's chocolate eyes were filled with a distinguishable tint of crimson. The red color was over his orbs like a film, successfully coating his irises with a burst of scarlet. Ryou's hands were still gripping Bakura's arms, pinning him into the couch.

"Ryou…" Bakura tried to pry himself free, but he was so dizzy that it became an impossible task for him.

A slightly sadistic smile appeared on Ryou's reddened lips, and his hands tightened, holding Bakura down. The teen leaned down, running his tongue over Bakura's neck, successfully lapping up the remainder of the blood and licking over the wound.

Bakura shivered slightly, giving a small moan of pain as he tilted his head away, struggling to get away from Ryou, now too weak from his major blood loss to fight back.

Ryou's grin widened into a near smirk, and one hand snaked out, wrapping about Bakura's arm, lifting it up.

Bakura watched through bleary vision as Ryou took his wrist up to his lips, and his eyes widened. He knew what was about to happen. Since Ryou's fangs weren't quite big enough to pierce the vein in his neck, he was going for his wrists, mainly because he _could _prick the veins and still get a substantial amount of blood…

Bakura barely choked down a scream, pain slicing through his wrist as the veins were cut. Ryou didn't hit in a straight line; instead, pain exploded in Bakura's wrist as Ryou's fangs unevenly slit into his vein. He could feel one of the sharp teeth slicing into the side of his vein, the other one higher up and in the middle.

Blood bubbled from the wound, and Ryou smiled about his bite, easily sucking and drinking up the blood from Bakura's arm.

Bakura felt sick. He had lost too much blood… With his free hand, he pushed weakly at Ryou, everything spinning around in circles now… "R… Ryou…"

Bakura whimpered as Ryou roughly sank his fangs in deeper, slicing into his capillary harshly. Typically it didn't hurt, but Ryou wasn't feeding the same; he was being rougher, careless even… Bakura could feel blood pouring from his sliced open veins, and his breathing was shallow. He was struggling to see straight, and he knew if Ryou didn't quit quickly he would surely faint, or go into a frenzy… "R-Ryou, please… S-Stop… You're hurting me…"

Ryou didn't make any move to discontinue.

"R-Ryou…" Bakura closed his eyes as he weakly sank into the fabric of the couch, his stomach flopping, head spinning… "Y-You're not s-supposed to hurt those who love you… Y-You're not supposed to hurt t-those you love… A-And I l-love you, R-Ryou… S-Stop this, _please_…"

At those words, Ryou froze in an instant, before his eyes widened. He ripped his fangs out swiftly, Bakura grimacing as pain exploded in his cut wrist and his sliced open vein.

"K-Kura?" Ryou looked confused, his eyes wide. The teen's eyes grew to a nearly impossible size as he noticed the man's condition, and with a trembling hand, he placed his fingers to his lips. He could taste the blood.

Bakura's heart felt heavy when Ryou burst into tears, realizing what he had done to him.

"K-Kura, I'm so s-sorry…" Ryou leaned down, hurriedly taking up Bakura's wrist and licking over the severe bite a few times in an attempt to cease the bleeding. "I-I d-didn't… I d-don't know w-what came o-over m-me…"

"It wasn't your fault…" Bakura gave a wobbly smile, his entire world being shaken around like a snow globe.

"B-But why? One minute everything was fine, and then everything went blank…" Ryou took a moment to lick Bakura's lower arm in an attempt to wash away the blood. "I don't…"

"…Your structure…is changing, remember?" Bakura whispered weakly, eyes only half-open as he leaned into the fabric of the sofa. "Some vampires… When they begin to develop… Certain things can trigger different types of reactions…" His breath was shallow, and he was shaking all over. "You… You reacted to negativity, like sadness… When you experienced that emotion, it was like a chain reaction, and you lost control, and you more than likely drained me because things like my blood calm you down… And hearing something positive – like the whole 'I love you' thing… It snapped you out of it…"

A twinge of pain ran through Bakura right then, and the man gave a barely audible gasp, his body shaking severely. _Oh no…_

Bakura grabbed the arm of the couch, struggling to pull himself up. He could barely even sit up by himself he was so weak… _Ryou took too much… _Way_ too much out of me…_

"K-Kura, what's wrong?" Ryou asked, panic and concern lacing his voice. _He looks like he's in a lot of pain… I didn't… I didn't hurt him, did I?_

"H-Help me u-upstairs." Bakura was struggling to pull himself up onto his own two feet. His legs trembled as he managed to stagger into an upright position. His knees suddenly buckled, and he let out a hoarse cry, eyes snapping shut.

Ryou caught him, holding the man close in his arms. Bakura was panting, one eye squeezed shut. Ryou gulped as he noticed how sickeningly large the wound on his neck was, and his wrist was completely cut open… Ryou helped him back down on the couch, and Bakura scooted away, grabbing a handful of the blanket.

"I-I n-need some b-bottles, Ryou… N-Now…" Bakura curled up into a ball, dragging the blanket about himself as he shivered.

"H-How many?" Ryou asked, already at the base of the stairs.

"…T-Three." Bakura's teeth were chattering as he curled up into a corner of the couch, lowering his chin onto his knees in an attempt to warm himself up. It wasn't working. _It'll probably that many to restore the blood I lost, and then gain a little extra so that I'll heal faster…_

-

Ryou hurriedly rummaged through the medicine cabinet inside the bathroom. The glass containers sat before him, but Ryou didn't know which three he should take back down with him…

_I really hurt him. _Ryou grabbed one of the bottles, taking a moment to stare at the label before deciding he was going to take it with him. _There was pain all over his face… And I took too much blood as well… When Bakura drained me I only needed one… But if he needs three, then…_

Ryou shook his head, not succeeding in brushing the thoughts away. He hurriedly grabbed three of the glass bottles, and darted out of the bathroom, racing down the stairs.

He found Bakura in the exact same spot, but he had shrunken down into the corner of the couch in a ball, the tattered blanket wrapped about his body like that of a cocoon. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow, a look of pain upon his face, clawed fingers tightly gripping the blankets.

"Bakura…" Ryou padded over to the couch, the three glass bottles clinking against each other as he walked. "Bakura, can you hear me?"

The man's eyes fluttered open, and he slowly looked up at the teen. His eyes were somewhat fogged over, only half-open. He was shivering uncontrollably, his teeth chattering a little, fangs visible through his slightly-parted lips.

Ryou extended one of the bottles towards the man, not speaking.

Bakura reached out, taking it out of Ryou's hand. He lowered it into his lap, struggling to remove the stopper because of how bad his hands were shaking.

"Here, let me help you." Ryou said, bending down to aid Bakura. He easily pried the plug out, offering the glass bottle to the man then, who accepted it into trembling hands.

Bakura hurriedly raised the container to his lips, taking a deep swig. His nose crinkled with disgust at the taste, but he drank it anyway. He was already struggling to hold himself back… He sensed that he was either close to fainting or going onto a rampage… After all, he had all the correct warning signs… _I'm just lucky I didn't go out of control…_

"Bakura, a-are you mad at me?" Ryou asked softly, biting his lip. "I-I mean-"

"No." Bakura pushed himself forward, the blood restoring some of his energy, and he placed the nearly empty bottle on the coffee table, before patting the cushion of the sofa, "Come here, Ryou."

The teen blinked, and obeyed, sitting down beside the older man. To his surprise, Bakura wrapped his arms around him, pulling him even closer so that their bodies were crushed together. Ryou could feel the man trembling against him.

"It's not your fault," Bakura murmured, his chin resting on top of Ryou's fluffy head. He held the teen tight in an embrace, the smaller one seated in his lap. With Ryou's figure pressed so close to his, Bakura could easily feel the warmth of his body. "You're changing… With development comes new standards, Ryou."

"B-But… Reacting so certain things is only going to be a stage for me, right?" Ryou asked softly, looking up into Bakura's still slightly clouded crimson orbs.

"Possibly, but I can't guarantee you anything." Bakura sighed softly. "As you blossom from a younger vampire into an adult, you will have gone through several different transformations, Ryou. Your eating habits will change, your structure, your physical abilities, and so on… Most grow out of their reactions when they become an adult… And the act of growing from a child vampire into an adult only takes about a month or two. So over the next month, you'll more than likely go through a lot of different changes… And all of which you need to inform me about, okay? I need to know when you feel strange or when certain things happen, so that I can help you through your development, okay?"

Ryou nodded slightly, letting his head lean against Bakura's collarbone as he curled up slightly in the man's lap.

Bakura pulled the tattered blanket up, covering the both of them. He smiled slightly when Ryou snuggled against him, yawning slightly, revealing his canines, which weren't completely fully-grown yet.

However, Bakura said nothing, merely staring at the teen curled up against his figure. He lowered his breathing, smiling faintly as Ryou closed his eyes in an attempt to drift off into slumber.

* * *

Chapter 31: End.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Ugh, this update took forever, I know. I apologize... I've had schoolwork, writer's block... I even rewrote this chapter a few times, but I still don't really like it, and it's shorter than usual... Ugh, so sorry... I hope you guys enjoy it anyway! :'D

* * *

Marik panted, a hand pressed against the wall as he struggled to keep walking. His knees were shaking and he trembled uncontrollably, both the blood loss and the alcohol weakening him. A small trail of blood spilled behind him, like footprints in the snow.

Blood was gushing from a wound in his chest that had been self-inflicted. The palms of his hands were drenched with his own blood, and he dropped the pocketknife to the concrete, shaking all over.

With fast breaths, he dug through the pocket of his jeans, extracting a smaller, silver lighter. He flicked the cap open, hands shaking, blood smearing onto the metallic cover. His shadowed violet eyes stared down at the little flame, and he tensed, squeezing his eyes shut.

He plunged the burning top into his arm, gasping and whimpering as the hot metal began to burn and blister his skin, but he didn't remove the burning device. Instead, he merely plowed it in deeper into his flesh, a horrible burn spreading over his skin like a disease.

His hand slipped from the wall, and he fell like a stone, hitting the concrete and panting. He finally removed the lighter, his arm plagued with burns and his skin was blistered and swollen. It hurt so badly, but yet, deep down, the blonde was almost taking a liking to the pain…

He took a moment, letting the top heat back up, eyes focused on the little yellow flame. Bracing himself, he sat up a little before stabbing the raging hot metal into his chest.

He screamed, pain exploding inside of him as the hot metallic top sliced through his wound, getting deep within him, the fire burning at his cut and bloody skin. Burns overrode his chest in an instant, and he choked, the lighter falling from his hands as they began to shake.

He doubled over, cupping a hand about his mouth as he began to cough. Blood began to pool in the palm of his hand, and he could taste the coppery substance in the back of his throat.

_Malik… I'm so sorry… _Tears burned in the back of his eyes as he raised the lighter again. He already felt so dizzy… _But I can't stand to let you see me like this again…_

The warmth of the lighter put him on edge, and Marik knew that only a few more severe burns, and his body would shut down. _Fire is like sunlight for me; completely lethal, and has the same effects. If too much connects, my body will collapse within itself, and I will exist no longer._

As he raised the lighter again, plunging it into the wound upon his chest that was spurting blood, the last thing he saw was Malik's almost haunting face before falling into the dark.

-

Ryou's eyes slowly fluttered open. He felt cold, and even a little nauseous. He gave a small grunt as he sat up, propping himself onto his elbows before looking around through tired eyes.

He was still on the living room sofa, the worn black blanket wrapped about his skinny figure. He noticed, however, that Bakura was missing. Not only that, but Ryou noted that there were three empty glass bottles cast upon the coffee table, obviously from Bakura.

Wondering where the man slipped off to, Ryou pulled himself up and off the sofa, leaving the coverlet on the couch. The albino padded into the kitchen first, and finding nothing there – not even the note written in blood – Ryou guessed he was elsewhere. He then made his way upstairs, a hand curled about the handrail, because for some reason, his head began spinning as he climbed the steps.

As the teen made his way upstairs, he noticed the bathroom door was closed. Scowling slightly, he padded down the hall and over to the structure, gently knocking upon the closed door with pale knuckles, "Bakura? Are you in there?"

Strangely, nothing greeted his ears but silence.

Frowning, Ryou grabbed the doorknob in one hand, quietly twisting it and pushing the door open. The bathroom was shrouded in darkness, but Ryou could easily see due to his vampirism.

He could see Bakura's body. The man was curled up in one corner, knees to his chest and his head buried into his folded arms. He looked so vulnerable in that position, maybe even like a broken little child…

"Bakura?" Ryou asked softly, taking quiet steps in the man's direction.

Bakura's body twitched in a slight spasm as Ryou placed a hand on the man's shoulder. Bakura's head jerked up from the safe cradle of his arms, wide eyes meeting Ryou's own. For a moment, the man's eyes resembled that of a deer's, just after getting caught up in the headlights of a car.

Ryou felt his heart drop into his stomach as he stared into his guardian's face. Bakura's crimson eyes were outlined in red, his pale face stained with the salty tracks of tears. There was a splotch of blood smeared across his angular jawbone, but there wasn't a wound visible.

After realizing it was Ryou before him, Bakura jerked his head away quickly, as if ashamed. His silvery bangs hid his crimson eyes from sight, but little rivulets of tears spilled from the ruby orbs. He just couldn't help it, and he couldn't control the fresh trembles that ripped through his body.

"…Bakura?" Ryou's voice softened as he inched forward, reaching out and placing his hand on Bakura's arm. "Bakura, what's wrong?"

Ryou gave a small gasp when the man jerked his arm free, a sob emitting from his throat. Ryou frowned a bit, and forced himself closer, grabbing Bakura's arm tight. "Bakura, tell me… I only want to help you."

Bakura slowly lifted his head up, tears cascading down his pale face. He locked his eyes with Ryou's, feeling a little flutter in his stomach at the evident worry and confusion in the teen's chocolate eyes. He quickly averted his eyes, unable to stare the innocent boy in the eyes anymore. _I'm tainting him by doing all of this… He's caught up in the middle… I don't deserve his comfort…_

"Bakura, _please._" Ryou's grip tightened on the older man's arm. "I only want to help-"

"I don't deserve your help." Bakura's voice sounded hollow as he spoke. He kept his tear-filled eyes lowered onto his dark-washed jeans, unable to look the boy in the eyes. "You just don't understand what I've done…"

"Of course I don't…" Ryou said softly as he wiped a few fresh tears away from Bakura's face. "I can't ever comprehend something without having an explanation…"

Bakura's claws dug into the fabric of his jeans as he wiped at his with his free hand. By now it didn't matter; his eyes were reddened and his face was stained. "It's just that…" he swallowed. "I've broken so much by letting this happen. I've shattered promises, trust, hearts… It's all my fault…"

Ryou just blinked, unsure of what to say.

"I swore that I would do my best at protecting Marik after our house burned down and our parents died, mainly because he was all I had left…" Bakura kept his eyes lowered, fixed upon his hands as he spoke. "And now look what I've caused… Marik is going to take himself out because of me. And not only that, but because of this Malik is probably going to crumble… And you're just… You're caught in the middle of it all, Ryou… Ugh, I'm so _stupid… _Why didn't I do something sooner?"

Ryou stood there quietly for a moment. Bakura had his face buried into his hands, shaking slightly as he struggled to breathe evenly.

Bakura lowered his hands from his face as he felt something brush against him. He looked down, blinking with surprise as he noticed Ryou scooting onto his lap.

Ryou reached up with a pale, slender hand, and brushed away the tears spilling from Bakura's eyes, a tiny smile on his face. "Kura… I know you're hurting, and you feel like there's nothing left, but… But you can still fix this…"

Ryou knew. Ryou completely understood what was happening now, even though Bakura thought he didn't. _Stress, anxiety, helplessness… They're eating him alive, I'm sure…_

Bakura looked away, eyes slightly narrowed, unable to look into Ryou's own anymore. He didn't even flinch at all when he felt one of Ryou's gentle hands palm against the bloodied spot of his jawbone.

"Kura… Constantly fighting with your best friend, having him getting ready to take himself out because of it… Having the ones you love suffering… Struggling to help others in spite of the weight on your shoulders… You never put yourself before anyone else. You're feeling so helpless, so overloaded… And yet, you just keep pushing yourself forward, but now it's just too much for you…"

Bakura choked as he strained to hold tears in. "I swore I'd protect him Ryou, and now I'm going to be the very cause of his own destruction… I can't do anything right… I always mess up, making things for the worst…"

"Kura… Stop doing this to yourself." Ryou's brow knitted slightly in a scowl. "Every mistake is fixable, isn't it? Can't we go find Marik and help him?"

"He may be dead already," Bakura whispered. Suddenly, his eyes widened a little, and Ryou felt him tense up. "But… Maybe…"

"What?" Ryou asked quietly, scowling in confusion.

"Come on. We need to hurry. I may still have a chance, Ryou." Bakura grinned slightly as he slid out from under Ryou, before jumping to his feet, sprinting out of the room. His voice drifted in from the corridor, "Come on, we don't have much time!"

* * *

Ryou shivered slightly, huddled inside his black jacket, pressed against Bakura. The older vampire had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, head held high as he made his way down the sidewalk, boots clunking on the messy cement.

Ryou felt a bit of uncertainty in his stomach; even after Bakura had suddenly brightened back at the house, he had still yet to tell him where their destination was. And for some reason, Ryou thought that the smile he had worn back at the household was fake; Bakura never shifted moods so quickly, ever.

Ryou was the one to break the silence, "Why are you acting this way?"

"You have to show a backbone in these types of areas, or people will literally walk all over you," Bakura responded, a bit softly, not tearing his eyes away from the street before him.

He kept himself on the alert as he spoke, keeping Ryou close to him. He felt strange pairs of eyes set upon him and Ryou as they traveled briskly down the worn, ugly sidewalk, littered with trash and grime. He knew that if he didn't make himself seem powerful, he would surely be taken advantage of. _In a red-light district such as this, it would be so easy to become a target…_

"Where are we going?" Ryou asked then, looking up into Bakura's angular face, frowning at the blank expression etched into the man's face.

"You'll find out in a moment; we're almost there." Bakura suddenly pulled his hands out of his pockets, before extending one of the bony, pale objects to Ryou. "Here. You'll need to hold on… There's no telling what could happen in this place, trust me on this…"

Ryou hesitantly reached out, but took the man's hand. He felt Bakura's bony fingers suddenly squeeze his hand tightly, protectively; instantly, Ryou felt a lump of fear form in his throat. He had a bad feeling; Bakura never held his hand anymore, so Ryou knew danger must be lying before them.

"Keep yourself strong on the outside, and most will leave you be." Bakura's free hand grabbed a dirty, once silver handle, and he ripped open a door then, pulling Ryou in. "Be on the lookout, both for Marik and for strangers, okay?"

Ryou gave a little nod, gasping slightly as he felt Bakura's fingers practically crush his hand. _He's scared… But why? He could easily fight off any predator… So what is he so afraid of?_

Ryou felt eyes watching both him and Bakura as they made their way through the dark room, lit by annoying neon lights, far-too-loud music pounding against his ears. Ryou knew then Bakura had taken him to a club. _Why does he think Marik would be here, of all places?_

Bakura began to pull him up in the direction of the bar, hand protectively curled about Ryou's own. He felt something form in his stomach when he noticed a familiar figure standing behind the greenish counter. With hurried steps, he made his way over, not releasing his hold on Ryou's hand. "Yami…"

The man who stood behind the counter turned, in the middle of cleaning some glasses down. The male looked only a few years older than Ryou did, and his brow crinkled in a scowl at the sight of the pair, "Bakura? What are you-"

"No time," Bakura interrupted, hand curled about Ryou's so tightly… "Did Marik come through here?"

Yami hesitated for a moment, before giving a small nod, "He stayed for a while, had a few drinks… He was talking about getting rid of himself-"

"Do you know where he went?" Bakura once more cut the male off, panic evident in his voice.

"Bakura, what's going on here? Last time you promised that you and Marik wouldn't fight anymore, that you wouldn't ever turn up in a club or a bar ever again… What happened over all these years?"

"I already told you that I don't have time for this," Bakura growled, feeling a little flutter in his stomach at Yami's words. "Just tell me where he went off to."

"Well, I guess you still have that temperamental side…" Yami sighed, "But I'm not entirely sure of where he went off to; he wasn't specific. He just said he'd probably go into an alley and-"

"Thanks." Bakura was already dragging Ryou towards the door by now, and called over his shoulder, "I'll talk to you later about all this, I just have more important things to do right now!"

Bakura ignored Yami's calls and hurried outside, before finally releasing his grip on Ryou's hand. His own were clammy and shaking slightly, but he pretended that nothing was wrong as he briskly hurried down the sidewalk, Ryou struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"Bakura, this doesn't make any sense," Ryou said, practically jogging to keep up. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later," Bakura answered simply, sniffing the air, nose wrinkling with disgust. He was struggling to hunt for a scent of blood, but all he took in was the nasty smell of things he wasn't exactly sure of.

"Bakura…" Ryou bit his lip. "Bakura, please… Who was that man? How did you know who he was? And what exactly did he mean by-"

Ryou was cut short, gasping when his wrist was seized, followed by Bakura taking off in a sprint. Ryou stumbled behind him, "B-Bakura, what's happening?"

"I just found his scent," Bakura cried, boots clunking as they slammed against the concrete. "I smell his blood."

Ryou scowled; he couldn't smell it. But after they went a few more blocks down, suddenly, the smell of blood hit him full force. Ryou felt a little stab in his stomach; he recognized it as hunger. He kept quiet, not mentioning this to Bakura as the man suddenly gave a sharp left turn, sliding into an alleyway.

Hurrying, Bakura kept running until he was at a dead end. He released Ryou's arm then, falling motionless as he stared down at the figure sprawled at his feet.

"What is it?" Ryou asked softly, peering over his shoulder, before freezing, a hand clasping over his mouth.

Marik was at Bakura's feet, drenched in blood. There was a gaping hole in the center of his chest, visible through his clothes. Blood was still oozing from the wound, and around it, was a horrible black mark, spreading over his tan skin like a disease. Some of the skin on the rest of his body was pitch black as well, and covered in blood…

"B-Bakura… T-Those marks… You had one on your arm during the…" Ryou trailed off, unsure of whether or not to say the word 'fire'. After all, Bakura's reaction was still fresh in his memory.

"…The kidnapping, the fire…" Bakura sighed softly. "Vampires… We can't handle anything bright or hot. Fire, for us, is just like sunlight. If too much comes in contact with our bodies, they burn, and if we get in too much heat or in a fire, our bodies begin to collapse and they shut down… Much more, and we die…" Bakura crouched down next to the man, "Sure… The marks will eventually go away, like mine did, but the pain is immense…"

Ryou was unsure of what to say, so he just kept silent. Bakura suddenly pressed his hand against the bloody spot of Marik's chest, a little white glow coming out of his hand and fading about the wound, which began to seal up. _It's just like what he did to me and Malik when we were hurt at school…_

"…You may get the same power when you grow into an adult, Ryou, or you may develop a different one, or maybe even both…" Bakura pulled his hand back as the wound sealed itself, and he wiped the blood on his jeans. "Most of the time you get your powers a few weeks after becoming an adult vampire."

Ryou blinked when Bakura suddenly stood up, hefting Marik's limp figure in his arms for a moment, before slinging the man over his shoulder. "B-Bakura, shouldn't you be a little gentler?"

"He'll be fine. I healed his worst injury already…" Bakura started towards the start of the alleyway. "Come on, let's go."

"G-Go where?" Ryou stammered as he ran to catch up.

"Malik's house. He deserves to know that Marik is all right, and I'm sure he's in a lot of pain right now. Having to grow into a vampire all by yourself is insanely unnerving, Ryou… The pain, the fear, the changes… Trust me, I was one to go through it all alone at an insanely young age…"

Bakura made his way onto the sidewalk, pace notably slower as he walked down the street. He was receiving several stares due to the unconscious man strewn over his shoulder, but he didn't care.

For a while, they just walked in silence.

Ryou gave a small sigh of relief; ever since Bakura sealed Marik's wound, his sense of hunger had receded. _That's good… I don't think Bakura could handle another attack from me…_

Ryou bit his lip as he glanced at Marik, the past conversation between Bakura and that stranger behind the bar fresh in his brain. Ryou decided to wade into deep water by bringing it up, "Bakura, can I ask you something?"

Bakura gave a barely audible grunt, shifting Marik's apparently heavy form onto his other shoulder.

"…Who was that man at the bar? You seemed friends with him, but… But you refused to talk to him. You kept cutting him short…"

"…It's just too long of a story, Ryou… There's too much for me to tell…" Bakura sighed softly. "That's one reason I didn't want to tell you earlier. It's also because… Well… It just makes me feel even more like dirt, even more pathetic and low-down to think about it…"

"I-I'm afraid I don't understand…" Ryou frowned. "W-What do you mean? I'm not following you-"

"It's just like Yami said." Bakura's voice was acidic as he spoke. "I promised I would stop hurting and yelling at Marik. I promised that I would stop drinking, that I wouldn't ever set foot in a club or a bar again…" He sighed. "And look at how much I've failed, Ryou. In sixteen years I'm still the same, worthless thing I've always been-"

"Bakura, you have to stop putting yourself down like this!" Ryou cried, cutting him off hurriedly. It made his heart hurt to hear Bakura beat himself in the ground like that… "It's hard to keep promises, I know. But when you break one you can't beat yourself up over it… You just have to keep trying-"

Bakura snorted. "I've had more chances than I've deserved, and there's no reason I should get any others, ever again. I always screw them up."

"Bakura-"

"Come on, let's hurry up and get to Malik's. I'm sure he's starving for some company." Bakura increased his pace then, not looking back at Ryou.

Ryou scowled as he slowly followed. _What is it that he doesn't want to talk about with me?_

* * *

Chapter 32: End.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: And once again, I updated late. Ugh, I'm sorry... I've had a lot coming up, actually... Projects, assignments, a full-fledged exam coming up soon, stress, friendship issues... And I hope you guys don't get mad at me by saying this, but when it comes to this story... My inspiration is gone. But fear not, because I will make sure to finish this! It may take a while longer, but it'll be done. Oh, and when this and 'Never' are completed, I'm going to be posting 'Unchained' first, and possibly 'Testify', so there's something you guys can look forward to. :) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

The walk to Malik's house was silent. Bakura kept quiet the entire time, his eyes strangely blank and downcast. He stared at his boots the whole way, occasionally shifting Marik's limp, unconscious form a bit to ease some of the weight off his aching shoulders. However, neither spoke of Bakura's obvious inner turmoil.

Finally, after an agonizingly mute and long walk, they made it to Malik's.

Bakura was the one to force the rusty gate open, before heading up the little driveway, Marik's body slung over one shoulder. Ryou followed him, and by the time he made it up to the porch, Bakura was already pounding on the front door.

After a few minutes, both vampires heard the sound of footsteps. A few moments later, the door clicked, before slowly easing open a little, Malik visible through the crack.

At the sight of the two albinos, Malik opened the door further, a scowl appearing on his features. He opened his mouth to say something, but as his tired, lavender eyes fell onto Marik, his words died in his throat. He choked suddenly, tears forming in his eyes as his knees went weak.

Ryou hurried forward, catching Malik as his legs went out from under him. Malik was crying openly in Ryou's arms, clinging to his friend in an attempt to steady himself. "C-Come on, let's get you inside."

Ryou helped the tanned boy back into the house. Bakura followed mutely, shutting the door after himself and locking it before trailing the two teens, which had gone into the living room. The older man made his way into the den, setting Marik down on the floor before stealing a glance at Malik. He grimaced at the sight of the blonde teen.

Malik's eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and it was obvious he had been crying long and hard. He was insanely pale. As he talked to Ryou, Bakura noticed his fangs beginning to protrude to an abnormal length, and that his voice was hoarse. His matted blonde hair covered his ears only somewhat, and through the strands, Bakura could see the tips slowly pointing.

"W-Why would he do this to himself?" Malik asked, looking to Ryou, as if for an answer. "W-Why did he run? H-He knew he could've talked to me…"

Bakura felt sick. An overload of emotion was making him cave in, the inside of him on the verge of implosion. Seeing Marik's unconscious figure sprawled across the floor, Malik in this condition, Ryou suffering, his memories, so many secrets locked behind his walls, and so many incidents piling up all at once, it was just too much for him. His shoulders felt weighed down, and his heart felt like it was stapled to the bottom of his stomach. And there was only one thing he kept telling himself that only made it worse: _it's all my fault._

It was just too much for him at this point; it had eaten him alive, and he had nothing left for all the anxiety, stress, and emotion to feed off of.

Bakura's vision suddenly spiraled out of control, and his knees went weak. With nothing to grab onto, he collapsed in an instant, hitting the hard, cold wooden floor with a loud _thud._

"Bakura!" Ryou cried as he leapt up from the couch and to the fallen vampire. He scrambled to the man's side, rolling him onto his back to stare into his face.

Bakura's eyes were barely open, but glazed over, obviously that of unconsciousness. He was breathing heavily and sweat was rolling down his alabaster skin. He was shaking all over…

A worried look came over Ryou's face. The teen gently pressed the palm of his hand against Bakura's forehead, scowling slightly, and below the surface, Ryou's brain was going a mile a minute. _He doesn't have a fever… So he can't be ill, can he? So what's wrong with him?_

"Ryou." Malik frowned as he shook Ryou's shoulder a little harder when the albino didn't respond. "Ryou, come on, let's get him onto the couch."

Ryou was slow to react. The two hefted the unconscious male up from the floor and carried him over to the cracked leather sofa, gently draping his limp figure across the cushions.

Malik's expression twisted with sympathy in an instant; Ryou already looked on the verge of tears, sitting upon his knees next to the sofa, just staring into Bakura's face.

Malik quietly slipped off towards the kitchen in search of some medical supplies, but also to leave the two alone. The last thing he saw as he left the room was Ryou curl his fingers about Bakura's hand in a gentle hold.

* * *

_Blood splattered across the cement._

_He choked, before coughing, hacking up a sickening amount of blood as it spilled onto the concrete. He could taste it, smell it… The sidewalk under him was covered in bright red…_

_He whimpered as the boot came down upon his hand, holding him in place, the steel caps nearly breaking the bones. He panted as he looked up, his hair falling into his face._

"_Don't you _dare_ look at me with those cursed eyes of yours."_

_The boot suddenly jerked up from its place upon his hand, and just as swiftly, slammed into his ribs._

_He screamed, collapsing from his previous stance on all fours and onto his stomach, cradling his chest, a few ribs obviously broken. He coughed as the stake in his chest pressed deeper, blood rolling from his mouth. He dared to look up, feeling tears glistening in his eyes threatening to spill over._

_He gasped as a hand grabbed a few locks of his hair, jerking his head up, a set of angry eyes narrowing even further as a sneer twisted over the human's lips, "You should've ran, just like your little friend did. But no, you tried to protect him. Have you realized where protecting anyone but yourself gets you? Nowhere."_

_His glassy eyes widened as the man suddenly lunged, grabbing hold of his neck in a strong grip. The man easily pushed him flat of his back upon the cement, pinning his broken arms to his sides with his knees. One hand remained curled about the vampire's throat, the other grabbing the stake in one bloodied hand, before twisting the material and plunging it deeper._

_The vampire let out a strained gurgle as he was choked, the stake piercing further into his heart. Blood began to overflow from his lips…_

_The stake was ripped out with a sudden, harsh movement, before the man raised it above his head. He watched through fogged vision as it came down in the direction of his throat._

_A weak cry spilled from his mouth as a low sound forced its way out, followed by a rivulet of blood and saliva, pain exploding in his neck-_

Bakura screamed as he sat bolt upright, his chest heaving, his entire body coated in sweat. He lifted a hand, gently patting the various parts of his body, hunting for an injury, but he found none.

"Kura?" A voice reached his ears then, and the said man jerked his head up to face the owner of it.

Ryou was staring at him with worried eyes. However, the teen said nothing, but Bakura could see the hurt, fear, and confusion in those wide chocolate eyes…

Bakura averted his gaze, out of the corner of his eye noting that Ryou was holding onto his free hand gently, his fingers wrapped about the back of his hand. The digits felt cold to Bakura, for his own hands were clammy and shaking somewhat.

"Kura…" Ryou's hand tightened about Bakura's own. "What's happening to you? Y-You… You're changing… Y-You've been acting really strange lately…"

Bakura swallowed. He was still shaking, the images of the nightmare still fresh in his brain. And yet, it was more than a meager dream… It had been a memory, not something his mind threw together. A painful memory…

Without looking at Ryou, he spoke quietly, "Nothing you should concern yourself with."

Bakura blinked when he felt the warmth of Ryou's hand leave his own. He found Ryou has let go, and the teen was now moving away from him. There were tears in his hurt eyes, dangerously close to falling. "R-Ryou…?"

"D-Do you not trust me?" Ryou breathed, his voice trembling. "Why do you always have to keep things from me? Why does there have to be secrets, Bakura? Do you not think I can handle it, or do you think hiding things is the easier way?"

"R-Ryou, I-"

"Do you have any _idea _how worried I've been about you?" Ryou wasn't bothering to hold the tears in anymore. They cascaded down his face, staining his perfect skin with salty tracks, "You've been constantly going into fainting spells, and I never know what's wrong! You keep hiding all of these things from me, locking secrets behind doors I can never open… Y-You think it's easier to just keep them as secrets, b-but it's not… It's _not…"_

Bakura bit his lip, watching more and more tears spill down Ryou's face. The teen choked weakly, burying his face into his hands, shoulders shaking. Wordlessly, the older of the two slid down to the edge of the sofa, before slipping down onto the floor at the teenager's side, clasping an angular hand about his arm, "Ryou…"

Ryou pulled away, a hiccup ripping through his throat. His expression was twisted with pain and misery, and he reacted as if Bakura's touch was poisonous…

"I thought telling would only make you worry more…" Bakura's lips grew into that of a thin line as he lowered his gaze, "I just… I just didn't want you to worry about me… I'm sorry…"

"I felt so helpless," Ryou whispered, barely reacting, if at all, when Bakura wrapped his arms about him in a hug. Ryou sniffed weakly, his forehead resting against Bakura's collarbone. "You constantly fainted, and I just didn't know why… I didn't know if you were sick or what… I wasn't sure what to think… And then when I found out that it was all stress and anxiety, I… I just didn't…"

Bakura averted his gaze when Ryou looked up at him, those chocolate orbs glistening with tears. "Kura… I just didn't know what it was from… I didn't think you were that weary… Is it from me? Am I the reason you've been so tired and stressed out, because you've been struggling to help me out?"

"No… No, Ryou." Bakura pulled back slightly to look the boy in the eyes. "It's just a lot of things attacking me at once; it's not your fault…"

"…You told me it had something to do with all of us: me, Malik, and Marik…" Ryou bit his lip as he looked into Bakura's hurting crimson eyes. "But… There's something more, isn't there? You've been hiding much more than that from me, Kura… Right?"

"…You know me far too well," Bakura murmured as he lowered his gaze. "But I've been hiding these things because I didn't want you to worry, to stress yourself out over something as stupid as my little issues that I can't even sort out myself…"

"Like… The nightmares?" Ryou asked softly, biting his lip.

"That's one thing." Bakura's entire body went rigid then. "Ryou… I barely ever have pleasant dreams anymore. They're always plagued with memories of my past. Even earlier when I fainted, I woke up screaming…"

"W-We can talk about them… Would that make you feel any better?" Ryou asked softly. "Exactly… What do you dream of?"

Every muscle in Bakura's body tightened up at this. "There's always blood and screaming… Brutal fights…" He sucked in a shaky breath, "Things I just don't want to remember…

"I used to get into fights with Slayers a lot… It hurts when the memories losing Mom and Dad come back to haunt me, or when I remember my past at the bar… There was even a time where I was in critical condition… My memories always plague my dreams…"

Ryou decided to wade into deeper water by pressing on, "W-Why did you always go to a bar? I-I'm afraid I don't understand…"

"…Because I had nothing else," Bakura whispered, eyes lowered. "It was before I met you, and back then, I often felt like I had nothing left, so I went there to drown my sorrows. I hated everything, maybe even myself… And the alcohol helped me a little at first, but when it wore off, my misery would just hit me twice as hard, for I knew that I had once more became so weak that I couldn't just suck it up and be a man for once…

"I would talk – and sometimes scream – at myself, calling myself weak, defenseless, depressed… I would beat myself down. Sometimes, I… I would cry myself to sleep. I was a mess, and no one could help me, for I had no one around to help me through it. Sure, there _were _people, but I refused to let them in, for I felt trapped by having other people trying to help me sort out my issues… And I only felt weaker because of that…

"And Yami kept telling me I needed to stop doing all of that to myself before it became too late for me… Of course, he didn't understand… And I only then was dragged out of that ditch of depression when I took you in, Ryou… You made me happy. You were what made me stop killing myself like that…"

Ryou felt numb as he listened to Bakura talk, and a slight chill ran down his spine. "A-And… You said you were in a…critical condition?" he whispered, voice coming out hollowly.

"…I was." Bakura sighed softly, averting his eyes. "And this was what I dreamed of today, as a side note… It was when I was still barhopping, to be exact. Marik always tagged along as my parental unit; if I drank too much, he would drag me back home or stay with me if I rented a room…

"This time, we were walking home, because I had surprisingly gone easy on myself… And it was a good thing, for we were attacked by a Slayer.

"I tried to fight the guy off, and I forced Marik to run, telling him that I could handle it myself. He didn't want to, I could tell, but he did so. But I was too weak to defeat him, mainly due to the alcohol blurring my senses.

"He had gotten me pinned against the wall before stabbing a stake through my heart. I can remember that there was blood everywhere, and I was sitting there on my hands and knees, unable to fight or defend myself because I had lost so much blood… I looked up at him, and he said I was cursed, before kicking me with his steel-toed boots, successfully breaking a few of my ribs…

"He told me I should've ran away, that protecting others was pointless… He pinned me down. My arms were broken, so I was unable to push him off of me… He choked me with hand, using his other one to dig the stake deeper and deeper into my heart.

"I started spitting up blood. I could barely see anymore, and I felt so weak… He suddenly ripped the stake out… And I can remember it so clearly, despite my horrible condition… I was lying there, and then he drove the stake straight through my neck.

"In my dreams, that's always where I wake up. But back then, that was a different story. I was still awake, my body being dragged through more and more torture; that Slayer didn't want me to live. He wanted to make sure I wasn't going to make it… But I lost consciousness after he started beating me. The last thing I remember is a fist colliding with my face, before my world went into darkness…

"I woke up to the sound of my own heart beating. I can remember my entire being aching with nothing but agony as I forced my eyes open…

"I found myself in an unfamiliar, dim room. I was hooked up to tons of medical equipment, including that of a heart monitor and an oxygen mask. I had IVs pierced through my wrists, and I was sure there wasn't just water being pumped into me… I also found that I had been stripped down until I was wearing nothing but my boxers, and my wounds were bandaged. But I still didn't know where I was.

"I was awake for a few minutes before the door opened. Marik came in, and Yami was with him. I can remember very little… But I can recall that Yami was carrying items that I knew were more than likely drugs.

"After finding me awake, they started talking to me, and I just nodded like I knew what they were talking about. My mind was blank right then, both from shock and that of the haze of the drugs they had been giving me.

"It turned out that I was out of it for nearly a week. They originally thought I wasn't going to pull through, for I had been drained of too much blood and my heart was badly damaged; Marik even said that my heart stopped a few times for a minute or so each time around…

"Yami told me that Marik came back for me when he thought it would've blown over; he stopped some of the bleeding and rushed me back to the bar. Yami set me up in one of the rental rooms, turning it into a medical ward for me. I wasn't sure where he got all the medical equipment from, but I didn't care then… I was so exhausted, so drained…"

Ryou bit his lip. "Bakura…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. _He's gone through so much… Having someone you used to call your closest friend now the one who fights with you… Having to go through so much pain and misfortune… It's no wonder he's the way he is…_

"It hurts," Bakura whispered, feeling that haunting wetness return in the back of his eyes. "It hurts to remember my past, Ryou… Sometimes I just wish I couldn't ever remember it again… Because my happiness was ripped out and replaced by misfortune and misery…"

"Bakura…" Ryou took the man up into his arms, seeing Bakura trembling. Bakura let out a choked sound, his head against his chest. "Bakura, please, don't…"

"I don't want to remember." Bakura clung to Ryou's shirt, squeezing his eyes shut as tears began to overflow from his closed eyes. "I don't _want _to remember, Ryou… I want to forget, I don't want to feel the pain anymore…"

Ryou closed his eyes, pulling Bakura the man closer. Bakura's body shook with uncontrollable trembles, "Bakura, it's okay… I'm here, everything is going to be all right, I promise…"

The two albinos never knew that they were being watched.

"Is… All of that true?" Malik whispered, his head swiveling around to glance at Marik, who was seated quietly at the kitchen table. "Did Bakura really go through all of that?"

"…Yeah." Marik held his chin in the palm of one hand, not really too interested in holding a conversation at the moment. His world felt blurry and misplaced, after finding out his plans had been foiled, and the reality of the situation of Malik becoming a vampire was truly setting in.

"…He's had it pretty rough, then, huh?" Malik asked as he made his way back towards the table, taking a seat across from Marik. The taller blonde had awoken shortly after both Bakura and Ryou had fallen out of the real world and into the darkness. Malik had escorted him out of the living room, to talk about other issues that he felt were important…

Marik gave off a weak-hearted shrug, not really in the mood for chatting at the moment.

"…Does it really bother you that much?" Malik scowled. "Why don't you try to be his friend again-"

"It's not that," Marik interrupted, eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at the tabletop. "It's… It's the fact that I'm the reason you've been changed."

"Marik, I thought we already went over this," Malik said softly, hands clenched as they rested atop the table. "I told you not to blame yourself for what had happened. You were upset-"

"That's no excuse for ruining your life like this!" Marik nearly screamed, eyes slamming shut. "I'm the reason you're a vampire now! Why don't you hate me for that?!" he shouted, daring to open his eyes.

"Because everyone makes mistakes, Marik." A small smile came over Malik's lips. "I can't hate you for something you didn't intentionally do or cause."

Marik averted his gaze, swallowing. He just couldn't help but feel guilty… "I just…" He sighed, gritting his teeth as he looked up at Malik, "At least let me help you through this. I know it won't be the same, but I hope I can somehow make it up to you."

* * *

Chapter 33: End.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: And I updated late again. Sorry... But since this story is ending at exactly 35 chapters, I'm trying to make it so that when it ends there won't be that many unanswered questions. Plus, it's been a struggle to work on my fics, between school and my computer (which had been acting up a lot lately) and some other stuff... So yeah. Once again, I apologize. I hope you guys enjoy, though!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Malik gagged, bile rising in the back of his throat. He could feel Marik's hands holding his blonde hair back, his hold surprisingly gentle. Malik's body went into that of a slight spasm before he threw up, unable to hold the tears back.

It a few moments before he settled back, wiping the edges of his mouth with the back of a tanned hand, watching Marik tiredly as the older of the two vampires proceeded to flush the toilet for him.

"Marik… How long is it going to take for this to stop?"

Marik sighed as he settled against the cabinets at Malik's side, arms draped over his knees. "Well… I'm not entirely sure. For me, it took about a week and a half… But for you, it could take a shorter time because you were bitten instead of being born into the situation… At least you're not alone in this."

"Then… You're not going to leave me by myself?"

"Why would I?" Marik asked, head turning to stare Malik in the face.

"Because, you…" Malik bit his lip, lowering his gaze onto his bare feet, "Y-You already left once. H-How can I be sure you won't do it again?"

"…You can't be, I guess," Marik answered softly, not meeting Malik's gaze. "It's no surprise that I can't be trusted…"

"You shouldn't have left like that," Malik whispered, not looking at Marik as he spoke.

"I didn't know what else to do," Marik answered quietly. "I felt…trapped-"

"You should've talked to me!" Malik nearly shouted, looking up into Marik's eyes with a scowl creasing his brow. "Did you not think you could trust me, despite the fact I was the one to help you ever since the beginning?!"

Marik feared a dam was going to crumble. Malik was shaking, struggling to hold his glare. With shaking hands, Marik hesitantly wrapped his arms about the teen, pulling him into an embrace. "I… I'm sorry."

"You're a jerk…" Malik whispered, voice muffled due to Marik's shirt. "But I can't hate you…"

Marik bit his lip, staying absolutely motionless as Malik suddenly yawned, curling up against him, before quietly falling into slumber.

Marik just sat there, and watched.

* * *

All was quiet in the Bakura household. All of the vampires were asleep, and there was total silence enveloping the abode.

Malik and Marik were downstairs, Malik upon the sofa and Marik taking the floor. Bakura was in his room, in a deep sleep, and Ryou was in his own, curled up on one side in a light slumber.

But Ryou's once peaceful period of sleep was no more.

His eyes drifted open, scowling at how _cold _he felt. He reached down, gripping a handful of the blankets and ripping them further over his trembling figure before curling up in an even smaller ball, burrowing deep into the mattress.

But it didn't stop the chills. In fact, he felt even colder…

Ryou sat up, shivering. He didn't like fact that he could taste bile in the very back of his throat as he propped himself up onto his elbows…

He rolled out of bed, arms wrapped about himself as he padded across the room quietly and towards the door, which opened up to the hall.

He took to the corridor, which was dark and quiet. Ryou guessed it wasn't quite that of morning yet…

He made his way into the bathroom, taking a brief second to glance into the mirror. It didn't show any hints of his presence whatsoever, and Ryou was sure he felt something twist in his chest as he noticed this. But he didn't have time to think anymore, for he was slammed with an overpowering sense of nausea.

He collapsed onto his knees beside the toilet, heaving until his throat burned. He choked, emptying his stomach abruptly.

He then leaned back onto his rear, flushing the device as he leaned against the rim of the bathtub behind him. He felt dizzy, and despite him just emptying himself he still felt overrun with a sense of sickness. He was shivering, and yet sweat rolled down the side of his face…

_M-Maybe I should get Bakura… _Ryou bit his lip at the thought. He really didn't want to disturb Bakura again. _It's not fair to him that he should have to constantly take care of me… I'm sixteen… I should be able to handle this myself…_

But the more time he spent there on the bathroom floor, the worse he began to feel. The symptoms he had were only rapidly worsening, and he had a horrible pain alighting inside of him. He didn't like it, and the idea of waking up Bakura was becoming a greater idea in his mind…

Clutching the ridge of the bathtub for support, Ryou slowly pulled himself to his feet. He gripped the wall then, not liking how his legs felt rubbery beneath him.

Slowly, he made his way towards the doorway, legs trembling and terrible shakes ripping through his body. He clutched the door as he stumbled into the hall, breathing increasing as the pain inside of him became a raging fire.

He pressed a hand against the wall to try to keep his balance, and he was struggling, taking slow steps towards Bakura's room, panting.

His knees buckled then, and he collapsed onto his knees, hunched over as sharp stabs of pain ran through him. He squeezed his eyes shut, a whimper easing out of his throat. Why wouldn't it stop?

"Ryou?"

The trembling teen looked up, easing his eyes open to find Bakura standing in the doorway of his bedroom. The man had a bony hand curled about the doorframe, his snowy hair matted and tangled. Although he seemed tired, his eyes were alert.

"Ryou, what's wrong?" Bakura made his way out of his room and walked over to the fallen teen before crouching down beside him. "Why did you scream?"

Bakura reached out, putting his slender hand underneath Ryou's bangs to feel his forehead. The older vampire frowned at this, "You're really warm…" He looked into Ryou's face, his brow creased with concern. "What's wrong?"

"I-It h-hurts," Ryou whispered, his slender hands clutching Bakura's shirtfront desperately. His skinny fingers dug deep into the fabric, cutting slight holes with his claws. "It h-hurts," he repeated, tears burning in the back of his eyes.

"W-What were your symptoms?" Bakura asked hurriedly, grimacing as Ryou's claws began to dig into his sides.

"I-I feel sick… A-And it hurts, all over… I-I feel really cold, and I could barely stand up…" Ryou looked up into Bakura's eyes, "Kura… W-What's wrong with me?"

_No. _A numb feeling washed over Bakura right then as he realized what was going on. _He's growing into an adult, but it isn't his time yet! _Bakura swallowed as Ryou pressed himself as deep as possible into Bakura's angular body, claws beginning to draw blood as they cut into Bakura's deathly pale skin. _He isn't supposed to become an adult for a few more weeks…_

Ryou was nearly in tears, shaking like a leaf in the wind as he clung desperately to Bakura, his entire being alight with agony. "K-Kura… M-Make it stop… _Please, _make it stop…"

"Ryou, I can't…" Bakura bit his lip, for after the words spilled from his lips, Ryou had begun to cry, shaking with his suppressed sobs and pain. Bakura placed a hand upon Ryou's upper arm, rubbing it gently in an attempt for comfort, "Oh, _Ryou_…"

"It hurts… H-Hurts, so much…" Ryou whispered, looking up into Bakura's face, eyes pleading, the boy desperate for the pain to stop. "W-Why?"

"…You're becoming an adult now," Bakura said softly, barely able to look in Ryou's eyes because of the obvious pain he could view when looking into them, "Your body is changing. Your fangs are going to grow soon, and so will your claws… And the main source of the pain is coming from the inside of you. Your genetic makeup is beginning to alter… It's readjusting itself, meaning that when this little process is done, your vampirism habits will not be the same…"

"I j-just want it to-" Ryou froze, suddenly jerking away from Bakura and out the man's grasp, letting out a weak sob as a sharp pang of pain rippled through him. He was panting, tears glistening in his eyes, "Ngh…"

Keeping one hand on Ryou's arm, Bakura reached out with his free one towards Ryou's face. With his thumb, Bakura proceeded to wipe the boy's tears away, but it was a bit of a pointless job, for Ryou just kept crying. Bakura bit his lip, rubbing his hand back up and down Ryou's arm. "Ryou, it's okay… It'll only hurt for a little while longer, I promise…"

Ryou sniffed weakly as he looked up into Bakura's warm crimson eyes. He opened his mouth to reply, but it twisted into that of an agonized scream. He clasped his hands about his mouth, tears spilling from his eyes, feeling like he had just been smashed in the jaw.

Bakura watched in a tense silence as Ryou pulled his hands away from his mouth a few seconds later. Ryou stared blankly at his hands, which were coated with blood, all along his fingers and smeared across his palms. Ryou lifted his head to look up at Bakura, mouth open with a numb shock, looking towards the older of the two in a desperate hope for help.

Bakura couldn't look away. There was blood running down Ryou's lips, spilling from his torn gums. His canines pushed just past the ridge of his lips, dripping with blood. Tears overflowed from Ryou's eyes, running down his cheeks in salty tracks…

Ryou unconsciously wiped his mouth with the back of one hand, smearing blood across his wrist and leaving a red tint about his lips. He looked up into Bakura's eyes, panting, his entire being aching…

And suddenly, in a flash, an all-too-familiar red tint came forward into Ryou's once chocolate eyes.

Bakura's wine-colored eyes widened when Ryou lunged, the teen grabbing the older male's shirt collar and slammed him backwards, both successfully and easily knocking him over and onto his back.

Bakura's eyes were huge, staring up at Ryou in shock. Ryou was seated upon Bakura's thighs, easily pinning the man's arms down against the floor. "R… Ryou…"

Ryou grinned, the bizarre smile easily showing his fangs, which were larger, sharper; blood rolled down the canines and down Ryou's chin, dripping onto Bakura's shirt. Ryou absently licked his lips, lapping up the fallen blood that continued to run down from his torn gums, ripped due to his abnormally large canines.

Suddenly, Ryou reached out with one hand, unceremoniously yanking down the collar of Bakura's shirt, revealing his bony and yet soft neck. Ryou's grin widened even more, hungrily licking his lips again.

_No. _Bakura tensed as Ryou leaned down, running his pink tongue over his skin. Bakura shuddered at the touch, every muscle in his body going rigid at the contact. _I have to stop him. If he lets this hunger overpower him now, he won't be able to hold back, for he will fall into routine, into temptation… And every time when he needs to feed, he'll lose himself…_

Bakura tensed, trying to throw Ryou off. Ryou frowned, his insane smile fading. He dug his fully-grown claws harshly into the flesh of Bakura's muscled arms, holding him down with ease.

_Why can't I escape? He's smaller than me, I should be able to… _Bakura's muscles tensed greatly under the skin as he struggled, trying his hardest to pry himself free. _No… He can't have the power of strength already without either of us knowing it-_

Ryou dug his claws deep into Bakura's skin, drawing both a whimper and blood from the man. Ryou's lips twitched back into that of a grin as blood rolled from Bakura's cuts, the little river of crimson trailing down the pale skin.

Ryou leaned inward to drink it up, oblivious to Bakura's body tensing up under him.

Bakura squeezed his eyes shut, going to his last resort. Focusing his energy, he quickly forced himself to transform.

Ryou blinked as Bakura suddenly vanished from under him. All that was left was a splotch of blood on the carpet.

The vampire looked up, the crimson film covering his eyes growing brighter in color. Ryou frowned as he noticed Bakura, the man perched atop the doorway.

Bakura had transformed into a bat, and was now seated on top of the door. He watched Ryou mutely, feeling pricks of panic inside of him stabbing at his heart. Blood rolled down his little wings from where Ryou had cut into his skin with his claws, but Bakura didn't seem to notice this. _How am I supposed to help him? If I let him fall into the temptation, then this process will occur every single time he gets hungry… Since he's already became an adult and these episodes haven't stopped on their own, they probably won't halt at all until Ryou can overcome them on his own…_

Ryou rose to his feet, a scowl across his features, red-tinted eyes staring at Bakura. Then, without so much as a blink, he leapt up, lunging out, and grabbing Bakura by the wing.

Bakura hissed with pain, quickly trying to take off, but Ryou easily ripped him from the top of the doorframe, his bony hand shifting to about his throat. Bakura choked under the powerful grip, and his wings fluttered desperately. He twisted in Ryou's hands, before baring his fangs, and biting into Ryou's hand.

Ryou only squeezed Bakura's throat harder, eyes glowing maliciously as his claws sliced through Bakura's thin coat and into his skin. He drew back an arm, hurling Bakura towards the floor.

Bakura hit the floor harshly, his little form rolling slightly across the carpet. He tried to take off after he came to a stop, but Ryou was faster, picking him up again. Bakura's little body was limp in Ryou's hands, and slowly, Bakura returned to his normal form.

Ryou smirked at him, a hand encircled about his throat. Bakura was barely standing upright now, blood rolling in thick rivers from his ripped skin. He was panting terribly, feeling dizzy.

Ryou shoved him back again, this time, against the wall. Once more he kept him pinned, and abruptly pulled down the collar of Bakura's shirt before baring his fangs hungrily.

"Ryou… You can't let this control you…" Bakura whispered, but he wasn't fighting back. "You have to fight back…"

Ryou ignored him, leaning in towards the source of the blood.

"You said you wouldn't hurt me anymore," Bakura whispered as he leaned against the wall for support.

Bakura could feel the warmth of Ryou's breath against his neck. The older vampire's heart skipped a beat due to his inner fearing, and he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

But suddenly, he heard a growl, and the pressure on his body was gone.

He let his eyes ease open to find himself staring at Ryou, who had his eyes squeezed shut. Ryou had released him, and now his hands were clamped about the sides of his head, pressing against his ears as if trying to block out a noise only he could hear. Bakura said nothing.

-

"_Get out of my head!" Ryou screamed, hands curled about the sides of his head. "Get out_, get out_!"_

_His tear-filled eyes eased open as a deathly cold touch pressed against his chin. He swallowed thickly, fear evident in his own eyes as he stared back into a set of blood red eyes._

_The person before him looked just like him. It looked just like his reflection, but just a mere half inch taller in height, with those striking crimson eyes…_

_Its deathly pale hand rose to touch his cheek, and Ryou trembled underneath the chilling touch._

"_But I am you," it whispered, before an insane smile came over his features, showing a set of enormous, glimmering fangs._

"_No… No you aren't. You aren't me," Ryou whispered, trembling with absolute fear. "You can't be…If you are, then why have you never shown yourself before?"_

"_All vampires have another side to themselves," it answered softly, running a bony, clawed finger down Ryou's porcelain cheek. "The side that comes out when they lose themselves, like when they go into frenzies… But when they grow into an adult, that side often retracts because the vampire has learned to control itself…_

"_You, on the other hand, are a special one." It smirked, slitting into Ryou's perfect cheek. Ryou winced as a little rivulet of blood spilled out. The other male ran a finger down the cut, staining the digit with Ryou's blood, before liking the crimson off his fingertip. "Very rarely, some vampires evolve before their correct time. And because of this, they have yet to master their vampirism genes. They have yet to learn to control their cravings and hold back their frenzies when they get too drained… You are one of those vampires, little Ryou."_

"…_Will you always be here?" Ryou asked, not even flinching when the mysterious reflection lapped up a little more blood that had been running down his cheek. "Or will you retract, too?"_

"_I'll go away when you learn to control yourself, probably when you learn to transform into a bat. It's funny, though. You already have a power – strength – and I'm still around. Probably because you didn't even know about it," It commented as it licked a little more blood from its fingertips, grinning all the while._

"_The power of strength?" Ryou asked softly, eyes narrowed slightly in a pondering complexion._

"_Yes, my little host, strength." It smiled wider, "And you didn't even know it. But over time, you will learn to control it, or how to make it even stronger. Most vampires that have been granted strength can become so powerful they can destroy anyone that stands in their way…"_

"_I don't want to destroy anyone!" Ryou cried, trying to take a step back, but he couldn't move. It was like he was glued to the floor…_

"_Ah, calm down, Ryou. There's no need for shouting." It shook its head softly as it placed a finger against Ryou's pink lips, "Just let me finish… I never said all vampires used their powers for evil, did I?"_

_Ryou blinked as it removed its finger then, "T… Then what are you supposed to use your powers for?"_

"_Many use it for defense. There are even vampires across the world that use their powers to fight Slayers. And some kill Slayers like they do to our kind, trying to form a new world where we won't have to live in fear anymore. Some kill the Slayers and have their own shelters, letting in vampires who are homeless or have suffered due to Slayers. Not all vampires…are evil."_

_Ryou blinked, letting it all sink in. "Then… After I control my powers…"_

"_You can use it at your own free will and I will go into hiding inside of you. But just know, little one, that no vampire, no matter how old and experienced they are, are ever free of their alter self._

"_Sure… A vampire learns to control itself over time. As an adult, it rarely goes into frenzies because it has learned to hold itself back. But sometimes, not even the strongest can control itself… And that's when other sides like _me _come out to play." It grinned, looking up as it finished off the last few drops of blood that been coming from Ryou's cut._

_Ryou blinked when his reflection suddenly reached out, placing its deathly pale, bony hand over his heart. It grinned up at him, and only then did Ryou notice that the figure was fading away, pieces of its figure breaking off like wisps of smoke._

"_I may not be visible to you, or anyone else, but just remember… I'll be hiding somewhere in here," it said, grinning that enormous grin as he patted Ryou's chest, just above his heart. "And I may want to come out to play sometime… So unless you fight back, I can easily control you, Ryou."_

_It pulled back its hand then, claws brushing the fabric of Ryou's shirt. It turned away, walking off towards the darkness as its body continued to fade away._

"_W-Wait!" Ryou called, extending a hand towards the darkness. His lookalike stopped in its track then. "W… What do I call you?"_

_It paused for a moment, before turning slightly on its heel to look at Ryou. That same bizarre grin came over its lips, "Whatever you like, Ryou. I am you, after all, though I doubt we could share a name." Its grin widened. "I suppose you could just call me your yami… Which is nothing more than the darker side of any creature."_

_It began to walk away then, before its form disappeared completely from sight. Ryou was left standing alone in the dim room, a hand placed over his heart as he felt the presence die in the room. "My yami…?"_

* * *

Chapter 34: End.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: So, I updated much quicker this time, despite the fact I didn't get as many reviews as usual... :( And after doing some thinking - and getting those reviews saying I should keep going - I've decided to end this story at 40 chapters now, even though it's going to be insanely long now (and it's going to take me longer to update 'Never' because I have to finish 'Darkest Days' first, because I'm weird like that). Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Bakura hovered worriedly over Ryou, who was unconscious, lying across his back. After Ryou had strangely pulled away from him in mid-attack, he had collapsed into that of unconsciousness…

Ryou let out a small noise then, eyebrows knitting slightly as he groaned, his head rolling to one side.

"Ryou?" Bakura called the boy's name as he placed a hand on Ryou's arm, shaking the boy just slightly. "Ryou, can you hear me?"

Ryou's eyelids fluttered, before slowly easing open. His eyes seemed clouded, and he stared blankly up into Bakura's face for a while, before a slow smile came over his features and his eyes cleared, "Bakura…"

Bakura took Ryou's hand in his own, helping Ryou into that of an upright position. Ryou winced as pain spread through him, mainly about his chest, at the movements. "Bakura… I'm sorry," he whispered as Bakura helped him up.

"Hmm?" Bakura raised one snowy eyebrow at this as he gently moved Ryou's form so that he could lean against the wall for support. He then looked into Ryou's face, "What do you mean?"

"…I almost let him get hold of you again," Ryou said softly. "I lost myself again and he almost used you…"

Bakura blinked once, his brow then creasing with a slight confusion. "Who?"

"My yami." Ryou stared down at his hands as he replied. "I… I actually saw him. My other self… He was trying to hurt you-"

"Wait." Bakura frowned as he tilted his head to one side, just slightly, "Ryou… What do you mean you saw your other self?"

"…I'm not really sure of what happened," Ryou said softly, not meeting Bakura's gaze, "But I was in this dim room, and I can remember hearing a voice talking to me while I was in there…

"I told it to get out of my head, to leave me alone… And then I felt someone touching me." Ryou bit his lip, "He looked just me, Kura. He was only a tiny bit taller, and he had eyes just like yours…

"He said he was me, but he was the other side: a side that no one sees unless I can't control my vampire image. He said that all vampires have another side…

"B-But he said that sides like him only come out when vampires go into frenzies. He told me about my powers and about how I could use them, and that no matter how old I get I'll always have him, and he'll be hiding inside of me…

"And then he warned me, that if I didn't fight back, he could easily overpower me and make his way into the real world." Ryou closed his eyes in memory, "And then… He started to walk away, his body denigrating into thin air…

"I asked him what he was, and what to call him. He turned to look at me and said that he was me, but I could just call him my yami… And then he was gone."

Bakura sat there in a mute silence for a long moment, pouring over the thoughts that were running through his brain, at least going a mile a minute. _But that doesn't make any sense. Sure, all vampires have an alter ego, but not once have I ever spoken to my other side face-to-face…_

_Is it because Ryou has prematurely grown into an adult? Since he doesn't know how to control himself and use his powers yet?_

Bakura opened his mouth to speak up, but he was too late. Ryou was sound asleep, his head hanging slightly to the right, gentle, even breaths going through him in a rhythm.

_He must be tired, having to wake up sick and then fight not to let his so called 'yami' take over… _Bakura got up before stooping down, and wrapping his arms about Ryou's body as he heaved him off the floor. He headed towards Ryou's bedroom, hefting the sleeping teenager in his muscular arms. _Maybe next time I'll have a little chat with his other side next time he loses himself… Hopefully, though, it won't happen again…_

But despite those thoughts, Bakura couldn't shake away the bad feeling that was overtaking him…

* * *

Ryou's eyes eased open, and he tiredly rolled over onto his back, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He sat up then, blinking with confusion as he noticed he was lying in his own bed. He didn't remember falling asleep…

_That couldn't have all been a dream… _Ryou mused as he rolled out of bed, heading into the hall. _I really did have a conversation with my darkness… Didn't I?_

Ryou placed his hand over his heart unconsciously as he made his way into the bathroom. _I wonder what he spends his time doing since he's always locked away… _Ryou bit his lip. For some reason, he almost _wanted _to talk to his darkness again. But he couldn't exactly place his finger on a reason why…

His stomach growled then, dragging Ryou out of his thoughts. The teen frowned slightly; now that he thought about it, he didn't quite remember the last time he had a full meal of blood… And he was _starving _now.

He took to the hallway again, padding down the stairs to find Bakura curled up on the sofa with a thick novel in his lap. The man blinked as he heard Ryou's footsteps, and he glanced up, a smile coming over his lips, "Hey."

Ryou smiled at him, watching Bakura as the man marked his page, discarding the book on the coffee table before he stood up. Bakura walked over to the teen, reaching out and placing a slender hand underneath Ryou's snowy bangs, a little scowl of thought on his features, "You've cooled down… You're feeling better, now?"

"Yeah," Ryou answered quietly, stomach growling again. He felt himself blush, and he heard Bakura chuckle.

"Hungry, I'm guessing." Bakura grinned, easily revealing his fangs.

Ryou nodded, just slightly, but not replying. He felt nervous… _If I don't eat, I'm a target for a frenzy… And then _he_ might come out again…_

Bakura blinked when Ryou didn't make any moves to talk to him. "Ryou? Are… You okay? Is something wrong?"

He was worried, but of course he didn't want to tell Bakura that… _It's all in my head. I'll be fine; he only comes out when I can't control myself…_

"…Ryou?" Bakura asked softly, gently wrapping his fingers about Ryou's arm as he shook him a little.

Ryou jumped at least a few inches, his chocolate eyes wide, "H-Huh? D-Did… You say something?"

"I just… I just wanted to know if you were you okay before we go out to eat."

"I…" Ryou swallowed then, forcing himself to smile. "I'm fine."

Bakura opened his mouth, obviously to object, but Ryou cut him off, "Come on, let's go eat. I'm _starving."_

Ryou grabbed Bakura by the wrist, dragging the older of the two vampires towards the foyer, where they paused for a short moment to put on their shoes. Bakura worriedly watched Ryou out of the corner of his eye, not liking how he could feel butterflies fluttering around inside of his stomach… _I really don't think this is a safe idea… But…_

Ryou was already halfway down the driveway, and he stopped, turning on his heel to face Bakura, "Kura, come on!"

Bakura slowly followed him, making sure to lock the front door after himself. _But I can't keep looking out for Ryou forever… He has to be like regular vampires, and learn the reality of the world._

* * *

Bakura wrapped his arms about the victim's body, ripping down the collar of their shirt before hungrily baring his fangs, and biting into their main vein.

Blood overflowed from the bite and into his mouth, and Bakura nearly moaned, feeling like he was in heaven. It had been so _long _since he had gotten into town to feed upon humans, and the life substance of the beings hadn't ever tasted so good to him…

_This human… Is obviously under stress. _Bakura bit down harder, more of the warm, sticky substance pouring from the bite, and Bakura gulped it down. _The blood of a stressed or upset human is always the sweetest…_

Bakura felt hands weakly pushing at his chest, and he only bit down harder, making the victim in his grip release a weak cry. Bakura hungrily drank deeper, arms tightening about the body.

A few moments later, he ripped his fangs out of the victim's neck. Bakura panted from lack of air, chest heaving as he wiped his mouth, removing the stains of blood. The victim collapsed in an instant, the greatly deep bite marks still bleeding and the face of the human greatly drained of color.

Bakura stooped down to lick over his bite, and also to erase the memory. He stood back up then, staring down at the body at his feet. The human was barely breathing, too pale to be healthy. _I left just enough for them to live… At least I'm not hungry anymore…_

Bakura turned on his heel towards Ryou, finding the teen sitting mutely on a bench. The little albino had yet to feed, and he was staring blankly at Bakura, eyes wide and cloudy. Bakura frowned as he approached the teenager, "Ryou? Come on, I'm done. We have to find you a victim-"

_No. _Bakura took a shaky step backwards as he noticed that crimson film struggling to overtake Ryou's eyes. _But… He just lost himself yesterday! Why is he going out of control so easily?!_

But Ryou was obviously fighting, for he merely remained motionless, the red tint constantly brightening before dimming.

-

"_Why do you keep coming?" Ryou breathed, his head held upwards, and his body pinned into the wall. "You just showed yourself yesterday, and you're already trying to break free of me?"_

"_It's because you are just so easy to overpower, little one." It smirked as it ran a finger on the underside of Ryou's chin before trailing down his neck, "I told you. I will only retract once you've learned to control yourself. Until then, every time you get hungry… I'll make a move."_

_Ryou could feel his darkness's breath on his neck; he didn't like the way it felt cold instead of warm. The thin, chilling fingers trailed down his throat and over his collarbone, before moving down his chest, stopping at the skin on the outside of Ryou's heart. "And while I wait, this is where I lie."_

_The hand pressed harder against his chest, and the fingers of its free hand reached up to circle about Ryou's chin. "Now then… I'm afraid I want a little time to play, Ryou. No hard feelings, but it's been cramped inside of you lately…"_

_Ryou squeezed his eyes shut, whimpering as his yami placed its lips just inches from his ear, before it whispered, "And I'm afraid Bakura being around isn't helping much either."_

_Ryou's eyes shot open, and he jerked in his darkness's hold, managing to free himself. Ryou pressed himself deep into the walls, eyes wide. "W-What do you want with him?"_

_His reflection frowned as it took a step back, before crossing its arms over its chest, "It may as well be your own fault that I keep going after him-"_

"_W-What do you mean?" Ryou whispered, feeling panic eating away at his stomach. "H-How is it my fault?"_

"_Because Bakura's blood is your absolute favorite type of meal," he answered, his lips twisting into an amused grin. "You being around him all the time doesn't help any, either, for when you get hungry and I get loose, I try to fulfill your wants by feeding off of Bakura for you, my little host-"_

"_I don't want you to hurt him!" Ryou nearly screamed, straightening with his palms splayed on the wall to hold himself up, "Leave him alone, he didn't deserve anything-"_

_Ryou gasped as his reflection suddenly lunged, a bony, nearly frozen hand encircling about his pale throat. Clawed fingers squeezed slightly, and his darkness merely grinned at him, enormous fangs pushing past pale lips… Suddenly he leaned forward, those lips just inches above the underbelly of Ryou's perfect neck, "Let's see you stop me, Ryou."_

_Ryou's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he felt the breath on his neck suddenly grow warm, and although Ryou couldn't see it, his darkness bared its fangs in a slight grin before biting into Ryou's neck._

_Ryou screamed, pain violently exploding in his neck. His world began to spin, and it was mere seconds before he wilted, knees going unbelievably weak… And then his world went into darkness._

_His yami smirked as he withdrew his fangs from Ryou's tender neck, but the bizarre thing was there was no blood falling from the bite. The darkness then wrapped pale, skinny arms about Ryou's form, lowering Ryou onto his back with surprisingly gentle movements for a thing of darkness._

_It left Ryou on his back, the teen unconscious, mouth slightly agape and his chocolate eyes closed on his perfect face._

_The mysterious darkness smiled, almost sadly, as he reached out with colorless, clawed fingers. They brushed Ryou's hair to the side, as if absently, and it whispered to its' unconscious host, "You'll eventually learn to fight me if you want to keep those you love safe."_

-

Bakura swallowed thickly as the crimson finally overpowered Ryou's once blank eyes. _He lost the battle… _Bakura stood motionless, although his brain was practically screaming for him to run. _I can't just leave… Ryou needs me…_

'Ryou' blinked once, before the tint in his eyes brightened, and that same smile came over his lips. He leapt down nimbly from his spot on the bench and onto the sidewalk. Bakura took a step back at this, his crimson eyes wide.

Bakura gasped, arms being seized in skinny but amazingly strong arms. He was shoved backwards, stumbling slightly, but he tensed his muscles to hold himself up despite the force. He knew it would either be now or never, and there wasn't time for hesitation. "Who are you?"

The grin only widened, and more pressure was suddenly applied on Bakura's arms, pinning them easily to his sides. The yami holding over Ryou's body gave that wide smile once more, "I'm sure Ryou told you already; I am him."

"You're not." Bakura growled as he tried to pry his arms free, but he couldn't. His enemy was too strong… "I already know you're his darkness, but that explains nothing to me. _Who _are you? I'm sure you have a name of your own-"

"I don't, Bakura." It lurched out, taking a swipe at Bakura's face with its claws. Bakura winced, blood overflowing from a rather deep cut upon the side of his jawbone from the razor sharp objects. "I'm Ryou, but I'm merely the mirror image."

'Ryou' smirked, holding Bakura in place with ease as he leaned in, licking the blood off of Bakura's jaw.

Bakura's muscles in his tensed. Something snapped in an instant, and he felt his shoulders scrunch up slightly as he suddenly screamed, "Don't you _touch _me like that!"

Unable to move at all, Bakura went to his last resort. He jerked his head back momentarily, before snapping it forward. There was a sickening noise as his forehead collided with the mysterious being possessing Ryou's body, and Bakura could see blood clouding his vision.

But Bakura took his chance, and he threw himself from the grip, shaking the darkness off of him before waltzing back a few paces. The being before him was trembling, cradling its head in bony, cold hands. As it lifted its face, a substantial amount of blood was flowing down its face from its forehead, underneath those snowy bangs.

Bakura panted slightly, hands curled into fists. Blood was clouding his vision, rolling down his forehead caused from the brutal impact. _At least I'm free now._

But what surprised him, that instead of becoming enraged, the darkness before him merely cracked a grin, before its shoulders shook in a bone-chilling laugh.

Bakura shivered, recoiling back slightly at this.

"Oh, you amuse me, Bakura." His grin widened into a near smirk. "You and Ryou go together like glue, and yet you two are totally different… At least you're trying to wield me off… While Ryou just stood there and took it before I bit him-"

Bakura felt something in his stomach tighten, and his protective side took over, "You better _not _have hurt him-"

"Oh, Bakura…" The darkness chuckled as it shook its head, "I'm not that dense. I'd at least like to keep my little host's body in good condition… All I did was bite him. I didn't feed off him; all I did was inject a little something, and he fainted, no big deal. He's perfectly healthy, just unconscious."

"…What did you put into him when you bit him?" Bakura asked softly, unable to help but feel panic.

"…The darker sides of vampires also have their own abilities, Bakura." The darkness grinned widely, "Most inject a little of their own blood when they fight to damage their opponents… And each type has its own effect. Mine, however, is to make the body collapse and go into fainting spells. It's quite easy to win a battle when your opponent can no longer fight…don't you agree?"

Bakura swallowed as the creature advanced once more, and Bakura took a shaky step back, but tripped, falling onto his rear with a tiny yelp. He hurriedly tried to stand, but the darker side was already looming over him. _Why am I so afraid?_

Bakura gulped as the creature grabbed a thick handful of his silvery hair, tugging sharply. Bakura's head instantly jerked back to stare the creature in the eyes, feeling knots in his stomach. "Why are you doing this?"

"For my host," the yami answered simply.

"Where exactly did you _come _from?" Bakura whispered. Never having spoken to his other side before, he was totally unaware.

"Me?" The mysterious man pulled back slightly, but did not release the hold on Bakura's snowy locks. "…Yami's like me are the other half of a vampire's soul. When a human is turned into a vampire, their soul is literally ripped into two different fragments, not just the human's genetic makeup altering. Why do you think the process is so painful?"

Bakura gave a mute nod, but he didn't like the way the creature was staring at him… _What is he up to?_

"…But of course since the soul has been cut into two different parts, each side has its own distinct personality… For example, my little host is quiet, hesitant, loving… _I _am not one to hold back, though, I'm afraid."

And in a flash, the yami lunged, a hand encircling Bakura's throat. Those haunted eyes were nearly glowing, and Bakura could sense the trouble lurking behind those eyes. Clawed, pale fingers squeezed Bakura's passage of air tight, and Bakura let out a strangled gasp, a hand drifting to the other in an attempt to free himself. His eyes widened further when the darkness added another hand about his neck, before hefting him off the sidewalk. Bakura choked, kicking slightly in a futile effort to get free.

"…Ryou loves you," the dark suddenly whispered, staring into Bakura's panic-filled eyes. "He didn't and still doesn't wish for me to hurt you… But I refuse to hold back, because I am not one to merely sit on the sidelines, or go down without someone fighting back."

_Then Ryou already knew this _thing _would come back out and target me. _Bakura thought, head spinning as he was choked, the powerful grip easily cutting off his passage of air. _Then why didn't he tell me…? I would've tried to help him-_

Pain rippled through Bakura's neck right then, and he choked once more, gasping and clawing at the hands rapidly tightening on his throat. The abnormally long claws dug into his flesh, drawing huge rubies of blood which trailed down Bakura's pale skin in thick rivers.

Suddenly the yami released him, tossing him effortlessly to the ground. Bakura landed like a stone thrown into a pond, body hitting the concrete harshly, the vampire letting a whimper, gasping as his right hand went to his bruised throat. He looked up, panting, into those possessed eyes…

There was an insane smile painted onto those pale lips, and 'Ryou' suddenly took a half step forward, placing the heel of his sneakers upon the fingers of Bakura's left hand to hold him in place, before crouching down to look into Bakura's eyes.

The yami reached out, taking Bakura's face into angular, pale hands, staring almost amusedly into Bakura's tired crimson eyes. The man crumpled at his feet was panting terribly, looking on the verge of cracking. The darkness pressed its thumb against Bakura's cheek, and it whispered to the man at his feet, "I have to give you credit, though. You're a very strong being. You fought… Even though you knew you would be hurting Ryou in the process."

Bakura gulped, eyes wide with panic, whimpering as the yami crushed his fingers and claws cutting into his skin.

"But I'm afraid your attempts are merely futile."

* * *

Chapter 35: End.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: First off, I'd like to state that Tuesday - the 21st - is my _birthday_! :D (If anyone cares?)

Anyway, sorry if this chapter is a little disapointing; I've been having some issues lately. I spent my entire weekend working on my bedroom (which look like it exploded) because of redecorating/painting. So of course I had to clean and go through all my junk... And I'm having to sell at least half of my manga (at least 150 different volumes), which makes me sad. -sniffles unhappily- And then I was freaking out over a friend of mine, which stressed me out... So yeah. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"It was nice that you fought against me. I respect that, you know. Too bad you're not strong enough."

'Ryou' removed his foot off of Bakura's hand, the fingers now discolored and slightly crumpled from the force thrust upon them. The darkness didn't hesitate, however, to grab Bakura by the shirt collar, jerking him off of the cement and onto trembling legs.

Clawed, bony fingers dug into Bakura's shirt as the grip tightened. The yami noticed Bakura was struggling to stay on his own two feet, and they were trembling beneath him with the effort. The darkness bared abnormally large fangs, before leaning down, lips mere inches above Bakura's throat-

"Wait," Bakura whispered, heart pounding against his ribs. He knew it was pointless to fight now. He was already beaten. He just wanted to ask one more thing before he was bitten, "Let me ask you one last question…"

The man possessing Ryou paused, apparently waiting.

"…Would you ever hurt Ryou?" Bakura asked softly, unable to help but feel concern and a bit of worry. "I mean… I don't want him to suffer because of you-"

"I already told you, Bakura, I'm not stupid. I know better than to hurt my little host like that. The most I'll probably ever do is bite him," the man answered, grinning. "You, however, are quite different. Sure, I may not kill you because it's against Ryou's wishes, but that doesn't mean I'll hold back on causing you pain."

Bakura's knees weakened then, and a scream ripped from his throat as fangs injected into his neck. The fully-grown canines sliced with ease through skin and pierced into his main vein, and pain exploded from the contact. His breath came in painful pants, heart beating furiously. He could feel the darker side sucking the blood out of him with ease, and Bakura's head began to spin at this. Soon his vision began to blur, and the last thing he did was put up a weak flail in a futile attempt to get himself free.

The feeding lasted around another full minute, before the man possessing Ryou's body ripped his fangs from Bakura's bony and yet soft neck. The vampire crumpled in an instant onto the sidewalk, landing upon his side, silvery hair spread out behind him. His crimson eyes were wide open, but glazed over, and heavy breaths shuddered through his lungs despite his unconscious state. Blood was rolling in fat streams down his neck, dribbling onto his shirt.

The possessor crouched down, taking a brief moment to lick over the bites upon Bakura's neck. He then stared almost blankly into Bakura's empty eyes, before he sighed, and sat down completely on the cement at Bakura's side. _I guess it's my time to go now._

Mutely, the darkness merely closed its eyes. On the outside nothing seemed to change, but the reality was that the control of Ryou's body was now open for anyone to possess.

-

"_Ryou. Come on, my little host, it's time to wake up."_

_The darkness was crouched down beside Ryou, who was still lying flat of his back in the exact same location, unconscious. The yami shook the teen's shoulder, trying to awaken him. "Come on, sleep time is over."_

_Ryou suddenly moaned, just slightly, head rolling in the opposite direction._

_His vision was slightly blurring and he had a throbbing pain in the side of his neck, but other than that, he didn't feel any different. However, he was put on edge at the sight of his darkness hovering over him. He felt his heart begin to beat faster, mostly in fear, "W… What are you doing back here?"_

"_I came to wake you up. Bakura needs you to carry him back home, anyway. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to merely leave two unconscious bodies upon the middle of the sidewalk-"_

"_Why couldn't you take him back? It was your fault-"_

"_I don't think you understand. Once I feed, I have to drop my control on your body. It's not like I have a choice, you know," his darkness answered, folding strong and yet thin arms across his chest._

_Ryou struggled to sit up, "Y-You… You didn't hurt him, did you?"_

_The yami smirked at this question, before he crouched down in front of its host, reaching out before patting Ryou's stomach. It grinned as Ryou shuddered beneath his touch, "Let's just say you won't be hungry for a while."_

"_H… How much did you take out of him? That's all you did then, right? You didn't hurt-" Ryou's eyes widened slightly as the darker half of his soul suddenly pressed a bony finger against his pink lips, silencing him._

"_Listen to me, Ryou. I wouldn't go against your codes; I'm not that type of yami, if that's any reassuring. I merely fed off of Bakura, for your own sake. Sure, he's a little beat up because he got into a fight with me, but that's all. I'm not sure how much I took from him, but it was enough to make him faint."_

_The darker half suddenly stood up, Ryou blinking in surprise. The yami turned on his heel, stalking off towards the shadows, just like before, "You may want to retake control of your body before someone stumbles upon it."_

_His figure was fading away, just like last time. Ryou swallowed, and almost hesitantly called out as his yami walked away, "W-When will you be back?"_

_Without looking back, his yami merely replied, "…I'm sure Bakura can answer your questions, little one." And then he melted away into the dark._

* * *

The walk back home was tiring and extremely difficult. Ryou had regained control of his body a few minutes after his darkness had vanished, and then he had inspected Bakura after he woke up. Finding no serious injuries, he decided that it would be best if he hurried back.

But that was the main issue. Bakura was bigger and heavier than Ryou was, and the teen was struggling to carry him back across town. Bakura's arms were laced about Ryou's slender neck, and his head resting against one shoulder. Ryou had his arms slipped under Bakura's knees, steadying him upon his back as he trudged down the sidewalk.

Now he was only about five minutes from home, but it had been a long, tiresome journey.

After a long battle over climbing the fence, Ryou made his way up the driveway and to the place he called home. Barely managing to hold onto Bakura, he rummaged through his jean's pocket before finding the house key. He proceeded to unlock the door, stepping into the darkened house.

Shutting the door with his foot, and making sure to lock it afterward, Ryou left the silver key on the side table in the foyer before slowly making his way into the living room. "Malik? Malik, we're back…"

Ryou stopped as he noticed two forms curled up upon the sofa. He stepped closer to get a better look, and he felt a little flutter in his chest at the scene.

Malik was obviously asleep, curled up in a little ball. He was pressed against Marik, his thin chest easing gently up and down with calm breaths. There were bloodstains on his lips, and the stains appeared fresh…

Marik was next to him, eyes closed, but Ryou was unsure if he was still awake or not. Two bite marks were obvious on his neck, no longer bleeding…

One dark, violet eye suddenly cracked open. Marik shifted, just slightly, as he stared at Ryou for a long moment. He looked drained, exhausted… "…What happened to you guys? You've been gone for hours…"

Ryou swallowed, taking a tentative step back. He still feared Marik, mainly due to the memories of the past. "I… I don't…"

Marik shrugged, as if carelessly, closing his eyes as he leaned back into the cushioned couch once again, "Whatever. I know you hate me, that you're afraid… I don't even know why I bothered asking."

Ryou didn't say anything. Instead, he began slowly staggering towards the stairs, although he had absolutely no clue how he'd be able to carry Bakura up them. Sighing in exasperation, he began to ascend the steps, struggling the entire time.

Minutes after Ryou left, Marik opened his eyes again. He sat up slightly, but this time, his movement affected the person curled up at his side. Malik shifted then, his eyebrows knitting together before his tender lavender eyes eased open, sleepily looking up into Marik's face, "Nn… Marik…?"

"…Hey. Sleep okay?" Marik didn't really know what else to say.

"Yeah…" Malik smiled slightly as he burrowed a little more under the blanket draped over his figure. "I'm still kind of tired, though…"

"Sorry I woke you up-"

"No, it's okay…" Malik gave a bit of a sleepy smile as he leaned against Marik's arm. "You let me feed off of you… I'm the one that should be sorry-"

"No, you shouldn't be. After all these times you let me drain you, it's only fair that you get a chance to feed upon me. Besides, it's not like you're experienced enough to hunt yet…"

Malik seemed to hesitate, before asking, "When will I have to start hunting, like you and the others do?"

"…In a few days, more than likely. I know you'd rather stay in here, but going into hunting at your proper time really is for the best."

Malik smiled faintly as he curled up further under the black blanket. For a moment, the two blondes sat upon the couch in silence. Malik suddenly broke it, however, "…Did Ryou and Bakura make it back yet?"

"…Yeah." Marik's eyes seemed vacant as he spoke, however.

"…What's wrong?" Malik asked as he looked up into Marik's shadowed violet eyes. "Were… Were they hurt?"

"…Something happened to Bakura," Marik whispered, eyes downcast. "He was unconscious… And I noticed there were holes upon his neck. Either Ryou bit him or someone else did… And there was blood underneath his bangs, although it was dried… I think he got into a fight…"

"Did you ask Ryou about it?" Malik asked as he managed to sit up.

"I tried, but… You know little Ryou is terrified of me, Malik. He can barely handle being in the same room as me… And I doubt Bakura will want to talk about it with someone like _me…"_

"…I'll talk to Ryou about it later, okay?" Malik said as he rested his head against Marik's arm. "And then I'll tell you about it."

Marik didn't reply. It wasn't the same, sure, but at least Malik wasn't like the others, always keeping him in the dark… "…Thanks."

"It wouldn't be fair to you. Don't thank me."

Marik merely nodded, looking away from Malik suddenly.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Malik asked as he frowned. When Marik strangely didn't reply, Malik sighed lightly. "Marik, I know you don't feel like you belong sometimes, and that you're afraid to let people in, but trust me, if there's anything you ever feel like you need to talk to me about, don't hesitate. I'm always here to listen, because that's what friends do, okay?"

"…I'm just not…_accustomed _to people even caring," Marik said quietly, not meeting Malik's gaze as he spoke. "No one has even really cared at all about me. It's been so long… Bakura was the last one to look out for me, and it's been so long since we were friends that I don't even remember what it was like…"

"…Do you want to talk about it?" Malik asked softly, blonde eyebrows knitting together slightly with concern.

"Later. I want you to get some rest. You need to let your body heal, Malik, because you're going to be going through a lot of changes, I can assure you."

"You know… I don't see why Ryou is scared of you, or why Bakura can't stand you anymore." Malik was smiling. "You're just so nice to me, I don't see why they want to change you."

"…I'm more messed up than you'd ever come to believe-"

"We all have issues, but we all have our own ways to solve them." Malik smiled as he lay down again, head against Marik's arm. "It's just how people judge the issue that makes a difference."

-

Ryou grunted as he dumped Bakura's limp figure onto the man's bed. Bakura's figure rolled slightly before stopping upon his side, one arm draped over his middle.

Ryou panted as he sank down onto the bed at the man's side. The travel up the stairs was difficult, to say the least…

He collapsed onto the mattress of Bakura's bed, at the man's side, upon his back. He stretched slightly, muscles in his shoulders and arms aching. He moaned slightly, the sheets feeling so comfortable to him…

A few minutes passed before Ryou sat up, rolling Bakura onto his back to check for injuries.

He found some blood smeared upon his forehead, and a little bit of dried blood on the side of his neck around the bite. Other than that, the fingers of his left hand appeared bruised, greatly discolored. He didn't find any other injuries…

"…At least he didn't hurt you too badly," Ryou whispered, reaching out to part Bakura's bangs from his closed eyes. "…But I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to hold him in…"

Ryou sighed lightly, pulling his thin fingers through Bakura's hair as he stared into the man's face. "I'm sorry I let him bite you…"

Although he hadn't been awake for it, it was obvious had been the victim of his meal. The holes in his neck, the taste lingering in the back of his throat… Why else would his yami take over him so forcefully?

A sudden moan reached Ryou's ears, and the said objects twitched in a response under his silvery hair. Bakura's head rolled to one side, and a whimper forced its way out of his throat, eyes flickering slightly. Slowly, foggy crimson eyes slipped open, before slowly clearing up.

Ryou's face was the first thing Bakura saw, and a tiny smile came upon Ryou's lips. "Hey… How're you feeling?"

"…W…Where am I?" Bakura whispered, feeling terribly weak and lightheaded. "H-How did I get here? What happened to your-"

Ryou shushed him quietly, "I took you back home… You're in your room." Ryou's smile faded, lips growing into a thin line, "…Don't you remember him going back inside of me?"

Bakura shook his head, but instantly regretted it at the nausea that crashed over him. He didn't remember that _thing _going back into hiding; the last thing he remembered was getting bitten by it…

"…Bakura? Are you… Are you all right?" Ryou asked softly, not liking how _pale _Bakura was.

Bakura opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes suddenly widened, and he flung himself onto his stomach, away from Ryou. Ryou opened his mouth to say something, but froze as he heard gags ripping from Bakura's throat, the man vomiting as his body went into a fresh series of spasms.

Bakura retched until his throat burned, and he moaned weakly, stomach doing somersaults despite the fact he had nothing left to spit up. He could feel Ryou's hands upon his back, rubbing circles, and Bakura whimpered with agony.

"What's the matter with you?" Ryou asked softly as he rubbed a few more circles upon Bakura's back. Bakura groaned with misery, shoulders moving in the slightest shrug, before forcing himself to roll over, away from the mess, before letting his head flop against the pillow. He felt absolutely horrible…

"I think… Something was in his blood," Bakura whispered, wiping the uncontrollable tears from his heaving away with the back of one hand.

"What are you talking about?" Ryou frowned slightly. "He bit you and drained you, not forcing blood into you-"

"I know, but… When he bit you, he injected you with something that made you go unconscious. You just because an adult, so it may not have taken that serious of an effect… But I've been an adult vamp for a few thousand years… When he bit me to feed, he may have injected some of that stuff into my veins that's caused me to get sick…"

Ryou was unsure of how to reply to this. He sat there quietly, before he quietly said, "I'll… I'll go wash your sheets, okay?"

Bakura gave a mute nod, burying his hands into his hair.

Ryou proceeded to stand up, gently pulling the sheets out from under Bakura's figure before taking them off the mattress. He balled them up into his arms before walking towards the door, "I'll be back in a few minutes with some new blankets, okay? Try to get some rest…"

Bakura didn't reply, his palms covering his eyes from view.

Ryou walked downstairs, biting his lip absentmindedly. _Is my yami actually more dangerous to Bakura than I thought? I mean, I thought Bakura being a food target was bad enough, but if he's going to get sick every time he's bitten… This is going to be even worse…_

Ryou made it into the living room – noticing that Marik and Malik were still curled up on the sofa, apparently asleep – and he tiptoed into the foyer. There was a little hole in the wall closet, where the washing machine and dryer sat. Thankfully the appliances were rather new, so they weren't that noisy.

Ryou loaded the now dirtied sheets into the washing machine, taking a moment to put in the detergent and working out the settings before sliding the closet door closed.

He hurried back upstairs, taking a brief moment to go into the bathroom to look through the closet for some extra blankets. He found a thick crimson one, and made his way back into Bakura's room.

He smiled slightly, despite Bakura's obvious sickly appearance. Bakura was fast asleep already, curled up in a little ball upon one side, one arm draped over his stomach, and his snowy hair cascading over the pillowcase.

Ryou walked over to the bed, and draped the blanket over Bakura's figure. The man snuggled deeper under it in his sleep, grabbing a fistful of the fabric in his sleep and burrowing under it.

Ryou's smile widened slightly at this. He took a moment to make sure all the curtains were drawn shut, before padding out of the room, making sure to quietly close the door after himself.

With nothing else to do, Ryou decided to head back downstairs. He wasn't fond about being caught up in the same room as Marik, but he needed to talk to Malik… Not just about himself, but he had to be there for Malik as much as he could, not only because of him being part of their family, but because of his newest 'condition'. There was no reason Ryou should just leave him behind during this…

* * *

Chapter 36: End.


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: I don't really have anything to say this time, so I guess I'll just go for the disclaimer and we'll be on our merry way...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

 Ryou was actually a bit surprised to find Malik sitting alone on the living room sofa. He was curled up into a tiny form, in a corner of the couch, head resting upon slender knees. "Malik?"

The blonde lifted his head, smiling, just slightly. "Hey, Ryou."

"…I'm sorry I haven't been here for you that much lately," Ryou said quietly, rubbing at one arm. "I mean… There's just been a lot going on-"

"It's okay. You have your own problems to keep under control." Malik's smile didn't falter for a second. "Marik… He's been helping me."

Ryou hesitated, before quietly asking, "Where is he now? He was here when I got home, but-"

"He said he had to go take care of something," Malik murmured, his grin melting away. "He went upstairs and he hasn't come back yet."

"…Come on. You need some time out of the house," Ryou said, grabbing Malik by the crook of one arm and pulling him off the couch. "Let's go sit outside. You need some fresh air."

The albino led the way, and they made their way out onto the little porch. Ryou took a seat on the steps, and Malik almost reluctantly plopped down beside him. Ryou had a little smile upon his pink lips, staring in the direction of the sky.

"…How's Bakura doing?" Malik asked gently, internally grimacing, for he knew it probably wasn't the best thing to bring up. "Marik told me something happened-"

"He'll be okay… He's just ill now, that's all," Ryou answered, almost hurriedly.

Malik didn't say anything about how Ryou had cut him off; he figured his friend just didn't really want to talk about it at the moment.

For a few minutes, the two sat quietly on the brick steps, staring out, wrapped up in their own thoughts. Ryou, however, was strangely the one to break the silence between them, "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah." Malik raised his legs so that he could rest his chin upon his kneecaps. "Marik told me it won't be that much longer before I'll develop into a regular vampire… And then I'll probably have to drop out, just like you… But he said he'd help me, even when it came to feeding…"

"Just like Bakura did for me…" Ryou said quietly, more to himself than anyone, "Then Marik is just like Bakura when it comes to protecting those he cares about, apparently…"

"…Yeah. He has a few screws loose in his head somewhere, but…" Malik smiled softly to himself. "He acts different around me, for some reason."

Ryou cracked a grin, "You know, he and Bakura are a lot more alike than they give it… Bakura often puts on a mask of power and harshness in public; but around me, he can be the kindest guy in the world. Deep down, he can be the softest and gentlest person I've ever been around… And even when he attaches that mask to his face, he makes sure not to let it affect our relationship…"

"…Speaking of Bakura, there's been something I've been wanting to ask you," Malik said quietly. "Why is he so soft towards you?"

"…It's because he's all I have," Ryou answered quietly. "I know that it seems strange; most of the time people like us fight all the time. But… At five, I was an orphan and I didn't even know it. My mother never showed up at my school to get me so I decided to walk home…

"I can vaguely remember snow… And I remember a man approaching me. It turned out to be Marik, and he…attacked me… Bakura… Bakura saved me…

"I cried and he held me in his arms. I didn't even know who he was, but he felt… He felt like home. I trusted him, and I didn't even know his name… He took me into his home. He fed me and gave me clothes and bought me toys and walked with me to school and always waited by the flagpole after school to walk me back. He took away my worries. I never feared, nor was I ever sad when I was around him…

"I was living with him for about a month… Before he somehow found out my mother and my sister were dead. He told me the news that night… And of course, I cried. But he took me into his arms and held me, like he always did. And when I woke up in the middle of the night after that with nightmares of them dying, he was always around when I needed comfort…

"And I grew up with him. I followed him like he was my father, and I loved him like he was my brother. He didn't love me any less over the years, either. I thought sometimes that he would grow tired of me; get tired of me eating his food and wasting his money… But no. He only…seemed to love me more. And that made me feel like the happiest person in the world."

Malik was silent, watching Ryou quietly. The albino was staring off into space as he told his story, tears spilling down porcelain cheeks.

"…I love him so much." Ryou's voice was trembling. "He's the only piece of family I have left, and he cares more than my real father ever did. He always made me happy, and he still does. It's like… If he's happy, then I'm happy. He's always been there for me. If he drops me by mistake, he mends what he's done. He's helped me more times than I can count… He's protected me, comforted me, loved me, supported me… I'm always in his debt. Without him, I… I may not even be alive. He… He's my everything."

Ryou was sobbing, burying his face into pale hands. His shoulders shook uncontrollably, hiccups and gasps emitting from his throat.

…_I understand now. _Malik pulled Ryou into an embrace, and Ryou cried weakly into his shirtfront. _They're closer than words can describe…_

-

Bakura sat quietly in the windowsill, his crimson eyes fixed upon the two teenagers, who were sitting on the front steps of the driveway. Bakura's room was diagonal from the porch, so he could easily see what was going on.

Bakura shifted his position, unfurling his wings in a little stretch. The man was currently in his bat form; he would've stayed in his typical one, but his normal body was too big for the sill and he felt too weak to stand up and watch.

He frowned. Ryou was obviously crying as he sat outside with Malik; he was shaking and his face was stained. _Maybe I should go check up on him… To see if he's all right…_

Ears twitched as he heard footsteps. Bakura's head swiveled around to the doorway, and he quickly forced himself back into his regular form.

Now he stood on his own two feet, but a hand was clutching at the sill to hold himself upright. He held a glare, mostly of defense, but beneath the surface, he felt weak and sick. His head was spinning, and his knees trembled under him. "What do you want, Marik?"

"…Don't act so tough." Marik stated, walking into the bedroom. "I know you're ill, and you're obviously in no status to be controlling anyone."

"I can pound you into the dirt no matter what my status is-"

Bakura was cut short. At first, all he saw was Marik approaching, but the next thing he knew, he was lying flat of his back on the carpet, staring up at Marik.

"You were saying?" Marik stated flatly, standing over him. "I thought you said you could beat me up anytime? I just pushed you flat of your back, Bakura. Seems to me that you're all bluff."

Bakura growled, weakly propping himself up onto his elbows. He opened his mouth to object, but dizziness crashed over him, along with an overpowering wave of nausea. He collapsed back onto the carpeted flooring, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried breathing deeper in a desperate attempt to loosen his symptoms.

His eyes snapped open seconds later as he felt arms about his figure. He found himself staring at Marik, who had surprisingly picked him up off the floor.

"What are you doing?" Bakura whispered, tiredly.

Marik said nothing, silently making his way over to Bakura's bed and setting the weakened vampire down on top of the bedding. Bakura coughed a little, struggling to hold back the bile he could easily taste in the back of his throat.

Marik watched the albino mutely, dark violet eyes clouded with thought. Bakura's once milky skin was paler, a ghostly shade of white. He was sweating, and he seemed like he was in pain… "Bakura."

"H-Hn?" Bakura turned his head to one side to look his fellow vampire in the face. "W-What?"

Marik took a few steps forward, before seating himself down on the bed at Bakura's side, the mattress caving slightly with their combined weight. Surprisingly, he shuffled even closed towards the man, before jerking the collar of his shirt down. "Here. Bite me."

Bakura merely stared at him, before he cracked the slightest grin, laughing a little, but he was forced to stop because a heavy fit of coughing interrupted him. He forced himself to swallow whatever came up in the process, and he unconsciously wiped at his mouth, "What are you, crazy?"

Marik shook his head, leaning forward. "Bakura, I know you're smarter than this. Bite me. This so called 'poison' should switch hosts when blood interacts with another person… So if that vampire bit you and you were injected, then if you bite someone else – me in this case – then the substance should enter someone else."

"…Why do you want to help me?" Bakura murmured, truthfully confused. "I thought you hated me-"

"No, I don't." Marik looked away, "I think it's the other way around."

Bakura sat there quietly for a moment, before he spoke up again, "But I-"

"Bakura, just bite me already!" Marik nearly screamed, suddenly snapping around. Tan hands shot out and snaked about Bakura's wrists, slamming the body into the mattress. "At least do it so I know you don't hate me as much as you say you do!"

Bakura was staring wide-eyed up at the man above him, the blonde easily pinning him to the mattress, a strong grip about his skinny wrists. Bakura swallowed uneasily, and thought about objecting, but the taste of bile in the back of his throat made him keep silent.

"Please, Bakura. I can't take it anymore." Marik choked, as if he was on the verge of crying, "_Please, _at least bite me… Let me know that we still have at least an understanding…"

Bakura swallowed, but nodded, just slightly. As Marik released his hold, he slipped his wrists up, one hand curling into Marik's hair to hold him in place, the other going to the side of his neck, forcing the man's head to one side before revealing tender, but slightly scarred skin.

Bakura bared his fangs, before craning his neck, and biting into the flesh.

Relief suddenly poured into Bakura's veins. He suddenly felt himself sitting up slightly, hands tightening as he further injected his large fangs into the blonde vamp's main vein, both sucking up the blood and draining himself of the so-called 'poison' he was reacting to.

A minute later, Bakura ripped out his fangs, and collapsed instantly onto the mattress. Blood rolled over his lips and his chest heaved for air, his vision bleary and unfocused. He stared weakly up into Marik's face, "T… Thank you…"

"No," Marik whispered, leaning down. Without hesitation, Bakura weakly craned his neck, before running his tongue over the marks he created. Marik then straightened up, and Bakura's eyelids were fluttering in a desperate attempt to stay awake. "I should be the one thanking _you."_

"M… Marik…" Bakura's voice was soft, the man close to succumbing to the darkness overtaking his mind. "Y… You…"

"I don't want to fight you anymore."

Bakura's tired eyes widened, just slightly, but he weakly turned his head away, as if he didn't wish to agree, "M-Marik, I-"

Bakura found himself staring back into the blonde's eyes as Marik's hands grabbed him around the jaw, forcing his head back into its original position. Suddenly, his free hand collected both of Bakura's abnormally skinny wrists into his palm, pinning them above his head. Bakura swallowed, knowing he was too weak pull away. "Marik…"

"Promise me," Marik whispered, hands tightening. He didn't hear Bakura whimper. "Promise me, Bakura."

"M-Marik… S-Stop…" Bakura whispered, but his voice turned into a choked gasp as Marik's hand shifted from his jaw to his throat.

"Bakura, _promise me!" _Marik screamed, his violet eyes glimmering with that of desperateness. Hands tightened as his voice rose, but he never noticed Bakura choking beneath him.

Bakura's mind was spinning. Marik's grip upon his throat was too tight, but the blonde didn't seem to notice him desperately trying to get free. He found himself unable to move; Marik had his arms pinned, and he was seated upon his knees. Bakura squeezed his eyes shut to block out the colors that were beginning to twirl through his vision, and he was struggling to breathe. He was too weak to transform, to fight back-

"What are you _doing_?!"

The voice barely reached Bakura's ears, but he couldn't open his eyes. His ears began to pick up the sounds of shouting, but he choked weakly as Marik's hands suddenly grew tighter. His body jerked upwards slightly in a futile attempt to get free, in a pointless struggle to get out of the hold…

Suddenly, the grip was gone. He could vaguely hear the sounds of voices in the background, but they sounded much farther away than he knew they were…

He felt fingers upon his face, but they felt too gentle to be Marik's…

Crimson eyes slowly slid open. Bakura's vision was nearly too blurry for him to see at all, but he managed to make out the shape of a face hovering above him. It took a moment or two, but his vision slowly focused. Despite the huge blots of color staining his sight, he could actually see.

Ryou bit his lip, eyes slightly widening. He quickly drew his hand away as Bakura's eyes fluttered open, a surprisingly blank look in those crimson eyes. Bruises were already standing out on the abnormally pale skin of the man's throat, and even as Bakura's once foggy eyes cleared up, he still looked weak…

"R… Ry…ou…" Bakura's hand shook as he slowly reached up. He traced his thumb along the side of Ryou's cheek, but he blinked when Ryou suddenly grabbed his hand in his own, holding it tight.

"I'm just glad you're all right," Ryou whispered, not giving a chance for Bakura to ask. "He… He could've killed you…"

The slightest smile crossed Bakura's thin lips, and due to Ryou holding his hand to his chest, he reached out with his free one, running the back of a bony finger underneath Ryou's chocolate eyes. As he removed his finger, a slight haze of teardrops laced the skin. "…D… Don't… c-cry…"

Ryou gave a teary smile, and nodded silently. He watched quietly, holding Bakura's hand in his own to his chest as crimson eyes slowly slid shut, the man almost instantly slipping into the darkness of a much-needed slumber.

He glanced worriedly towards the closed door, able to hear the remnants of an obvious argument taking place.

-

"Why would you do that to him?" Malik nearly screamed, glaring up into Marik's eyes. "You knew what he was going through, but you didn't really care, did you? You just offered yourself to him that in a hope that if you did something for him then he would do something for you in return. You hoped that he would offer friendship again because of the favor you did him… But it doesn't work that way."

Marik didn't reply.

"…You nearly killed him." Malik took a step back to lean against the wall. "He was nearly blue and you didn't even notice it. If Ryou hadn't taken me back inside you probably would've strangled him to death."

"Malik, I-"

"Shut up. No one said I was finished," Malik growled, obviously in nowhere near a good mood. "I'm sure you've been around Bakura long enough to realize who he really is…

"He obviously lives and breathes for Ryou. He'd do anything for him… Including let his yami feast upon him every single time, just because it's for Ryou's sake. That's how he got ill in the first place; by sticking himself out for someone besides _himself_," Malik said, straining the syllables at the final word, his tone turning bitter. "And you nearly killed him. Do you have any idea what this would've brought? You would've ripped Ryou to pieces…"

There was a slight silence before Malik spoke up again. "You're jealous of Ryou, I'm thinking. You hate him because of his relationship with Bakura. You feel that Ryou became your replacement, and now Bakura has left you behind…

"…Ryou needed someone, and Bakura was brave enough to come forward. He took care of Ryou like a father, like an older brother; of course their connection is going to be stronger. And not only that, but after what I've heard… You were the base of the reason that Bakura left you behind in the dirt. He tried to help, but eventually he felt that nothing he did was worth it, and that he just needed to move on… But that's no excuse for you to target Ryou, or to force Bakura into taking you back. The world doesn't work that way."

Malik got up from his place against the wall, and headed back towards the bedroom. With his hand on the doorknob, and without looking at Marik, he said, "I'm really disappointed in you."

He vanished inside of Bakura's bedroom. Marik was left standing alone in the corridor.

Malik found Ryou sitting next to Bakura, caressing Bakura's hand in his own. The teen was staring worriedly down into Bakura's face, the older vampire's eyes closed in that of slumber or unconsciousness, Malik wasn't sure. "Hey… Are you okay?"

Ryou's fingers squeezed Bakura's hand a little tighter, and he forced himself to nod as a reply.

"Ryou, he'll be okay… He's a strong guy." Malik placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder, "Come on, just let him rest…"

"…I just… I just feel bad, Malik. He keeps getting hurt. He just can't get a break, ever…" Ryou bit his lip.

"You act like it's your fault, Ryou…" Malik sat down next to the teenager. "It's not. You shouldn't feel guilty, but I can understand pity and sympathy. I doubt Bakura will be mad at you for any of this… None of it was because of you, so there's no reason for you to feel so down about it…"

"…Okay." Ryou didn't release Bakura's hand, however. "B… But… I'm going to stay in here with him for a while, in case he wakes up…"

Malik sighed softly, but he was unable to help but smile. He gave Ryou a small pat on the back, "Okay. I'll be downstairs…"

Ryou nodded, not taking his eyes off of Bakura's sleeping face.

Malik quietly slipped out of the bedroom, noticing with a little bit of relief that Marik was no longer in the hall. He made his way back towards the stairs.

Back inside the bedroom, Ryou cradled Bakura's hand gently as he slid down onto the mattress on his side, holding Bakura's hand to his chest. He didn't take his eyes off of Bakura's sleeping figure.

Chocolate eyes slipped shut, but he didn't release Bakura's hand.

* * *

Chapter 37: End.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Happy Halloween, but sadly, no Halloween ficlet this year, guys. Sorry. :( But I updated, so... Yeah. The bad thing is I don't like this chapter that much, as usual... Ugh. And I didn't get that many reviews, which was a little disapointing, but I decided to update anyway... So yeah. I hope you guys enjoy and have a happy Halloween!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"_Kura! Kura, wait!"_

_Ryou stumbled along in an unsteady run, desperately chasing after Bakura on short, aching legs. The man was walking far too quickly for the boy to keep up, and Ryou didn't understand why he was abandoning him…_

"_Kura!" Ryou screamed, tears freely cascading down that of a chubby face. He extended a tiny hand into the vast darkness, towards the rapidly fading shape of the one he labeled as his greatest love._

_Bakura suddenly halted in his tracks, but his back remained to Ryou. The edges of his body were blending in with the darkness, as if the shadows were trying to feast upon his figure…_

_Ryou forced himself into a sprint, chocolate eyes spilling tears. He raced over, fingers instantly digging into the fabric of Bakura's jeans, flinging himself against Bakura's leg, sobbing as he hugged the said limb. With teary eyes, he lifted his head, mouth open to question his reasons, but he froze._

_Bakura was staring down at him with no emotion upon his face. His once bright crimson eyes were now dull, void of life… They appeared hollow, dead. His skin seemed thinner, paler, and there were ugly dark ringlets under his eyes._

"_K… Kura?" Ryou whispered, tears glittering in innocent eyes. "W… What…"_

_A hand shot out, clasping over Ryou's mouth. Ryou screamed behind the hand, eyes wide in shock. Only then did he take notice of the huge splatters of blood on Bakura's hands…_

_A gasp spilled over Ryou's lips as Bakura's strong hands suddenly shot out, grabbing the fabric of his shirt in bloodied, clawed hands. The next thing the boy knew, he was dangling above the floor, Bakura's eyes level with his own…_

"_This is all your fault," Bakura whispered, grip tightening._

_Ryou's eyes widened, and he desperately began to kick as Bakura bared stained canines, "Kura! Kura, stop! _Kura_!"_

_A bloodcurdling scream ripped out of Ryou's throat, tears bursting from once innocent and glimmering eyes. Ryou's entire body went limp, but he continued to scream Bakura's name into the darkness-_

"Ryou!"

Teary, chocolate eyes shot open, and the skinny teen sat bolt upright, heavy pants forcing his chest up and down. He held one hand to his heart, chin trembling as he shakily turned his head to stare at the owner of the voice.

Bakura was seated next to him. The man looked half-asleep, and he was propping himself up on one elbow, his other hand lying on the crook of Ryou's arm. "Hey… Are… Are you okay?"

Ryou choked down the lump in the back of his throat, "F… F-Fine," he whispered back, averting his eyes.

Bakura frowned. He struggled into an upright position, bones creaking from not being used in a while and his muscles burned with effort. A hiss of pain shot through his teeth, and he felt the slight aftertaste of bile in the very back of his throat. He finally managed to sit up, despite the pain and extreme effort that occurred on the way. "Ryou, don't lie to me…"

"I don't want to worry you. I… I'm okay. It was just a nightmare, Bakura-"

"And if you don't talk to me about it, you'll more than likely have more of them," Bakura said, frowning heavily. "And I can tell it's really bothering you…"

Ryou didn't reply, hugging his legs to his chest with his head resting on his knees. He merely stared down at the bed sheets, mute.

Bakura shuffled closer to him, hissing with pain as he moved. His entire body hurt with the slightest movement, but he had to comfort Ryou…

Bakura managed to scuffle closer, managing to be sitting upright, but he was hunched over slightly, his back aching terribly… But he knew better than to let the pain get the best of him. "Hey… Talk to me… You know I'm only worried about you; you don't have to be afraid…"

"I know, but…" Ryou choked slightly. "The nightmares… They just…"

Ryou released a weak cry, struggling to hold in tears. Bakura extended pale, skinny limbs, accepting the teenager into his arms. Ryou pressed his face into Bakura's chest, struggling to hold in the tears.

Bakura sighed, hugging the body close. He managed to rock back and forth while still holding Ryou, in an act to comfort him; he had always done this when Ryou was little, and it still worked, especially when those nightmares came back to haunt Ryou's brain of his family being ripped away…

Bakura had his teeth tightly gritted together as he let his chin rest atop of Ryou's fluffy head. It hurt to move, and now rocking back and forth like this only made his body explode with agony. He kept his jaw set in a struggle to hold back any sounds of pain; he didn't wish to worry Ryou.

Ryou gave a weak sniffle, slipping his head out from underneath Bakura's own to stare into Bakura's own. His chin trembled once, and although Bakura could still see tears glimmering in the back of his eyes, he could tell Ryou was determined to keep them held in.

"…You can talk about anything with me," Bakura whispered, struggling to keep the edge of pain out of his voice.

"…I…" Ryou swallowed as he leaned the side of his face back against Bakura's muscled chest, "I… I d-dreamed that… I-I was five again, a-and…"

Bakura didn't say anything, waiting in an agonized silence for Ryou to finish, "Y-You bit me and d-drained me. B-But you w-weren't yourself. Y-You… You l-looked…d-dead…"

Bakura bit down softly upon his lower lip as he hugged Ryou in his arms, forcing himself to rock in that same motion again as he cuddled Ryou close. "It's okay… It was just a dream, nothing more, okay?"

Ryou nodded, lying still in Bakura's warm but trembling arms.

There was a long pause between the two, both of them mostly just basking in the moment, but Ryou was the one to interrupt it. "Kura… You seem like you're in pain," Ryou said, looking up into the man's face. "Are you hurting?"

_Is it that obvious? …Or does he know me far too well for his own good? _Bakura didn't even bother to plaster on a fake smile, for he already knew it wouldn't work. He nodded, just slightly.

"…Because you were sick, or because of…" Ryou trailed off, averting his eyes. Bakura knew he was speaking of Marik, and it obvious Ryou didn't wish to remember that right now.

"…I think it's because I was ill," Bakura answered quietly. "It's mostly my muscles and the joints along my bones that hurt." He didn't mention his neck, however. Sure, it was probably bruised the most, and it throbbed with each breath he took, but Ryou was already upset; he didn't want to worsen his mood by reminding Ryou of his near strangulation…

"…But pills don't work on our kind, remember?" Bakura muttered, sounding almost gloomy, knowing that he had to just wait for it to fade away instead of using medication to cheat his way out.

"Yes, I remember," Ryou replied, looking thoughtful. "Maybe you should just go take a hot bath. I think we have an ointment that's supposed to help joint pain in the bathroom somewhere…"

"…That'd be nice," Bakura murmured, right now just wishing the pain would go away. "'Cause it really hurts."

"I'm sure it does," Ryou answered, crawling off of Bakura's bed. He stood at the edge, however, and Bakura began to shuffle towards him. A hiss of pain slipped out, and Ryou frowned. "Here, I don't think you need to be moving…"

Bakura didn't fight as Ryou tried to pick him up. The teen managed to heave him off of the large bed, holding him bridal-style in his arms. Bakura could feel his arms trembling, though, and he was a little scared that Ryou was going to drop him. "R-Ryou, you don't need to-"

"You're in no condition to be out of bed, let alone to be walking," Ryou muttered between his teeth, staggering slowly out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the bathroom.

_He's such a sweet kid. _Bakura's thoughts were somewhat fuzzy as he was carried into the bathroom. _Always trying to help me…_

The next thing he knew, when he opened his eyes, he was sitting on the rim of the pearl white bathtub, the water already pouring into the tub behind him. Ryou was still gripping him by the crook of one arm, to hold him upright. Without waiting for Ryou to speak up, Bakura reached for his shirt, managing to pull it up and over his head with Ryou's help. He then started on his pants, managing to kick them off. He was left sitting in his boxers.

Ryou kept a hand steadied on Bakura's arm to help him keep his balance, but he quickly turned his head away, a dust of a rosy blush upon milky cheeks.

Bakura clung to Ryou slightly as he managed to pry off the final article of clothing. Without waiting for Ryou's help, Bakura slipped his arm out of Ryou's hold and tried to lower himself into the bath. He hissed and growled from low in his throat with pain, muscles and joints and skin burning with pain. His knees refused to bend as he slid off the ridge of the tub and into the hot water. But all the pain was worth it, for when he hit the water, he instantly felt at ease.

He resisted the urge to moan. The water – which was nearly enough to scald him – felt terribly relaxing, and he could feel his once aching muscles beginning to loosen up. Holding onto the rim of the tub, he forced himself to extend his legs out under the water. He bit his lip as he felt the muscles burn under his kneecaps as they began to painfully stretch out. A small whimper eased out of his throat as he extended his limbs under the hot water, muscles and joints aching.

And yet, even as his muscles felt like they were on fire, he felt far more relaxed and comfortable than before.

The water was high enough for him now. Bakura gripped the edge of the tub as he forced himself to lean forward, flinching as the muscles in his lower back began to sting. He pushed himself forward more, however, and he turned off the water.

He heard footsteps, and he turned his head, despite the pain that exploded in under the skin in his neck because of it. Through the little clouds of steam rising from his bathwater, he could see Ryou digging around in the medicine cabinet, apparently searching for whatever salve he had been talking about a few minutes ago. He noticed, however, that not once did Ryou look over in the direction of the bathtub. He did catch a glimpse of the still lingering haze of a blush staining those cheeks… Bakura cracked the slightest grin before forcing himself deeper under the water, but made sure to keep his head above it.

Ryou finally found what he was looking for, and set it down on the countertop. He had left Bakura two towels next to the bathtub; one for his hair and the other for his body. "Bakura, when you're done, I'm going to put some of this on you when you dry off, okay? It'll help stop your aches."

Bakura didn't reply.

Ryou, despite his embarrassment, stole a glance over at the tub. Bakura was staring up at the ceiling, eyes only half-open, with his head leaning against the back ridge of the tub. He seemed deep in thought… Ryou smiled slightly. "Bakura, don't fall asleep. I don't want for you to drown, okay?"

Bakura gave the slightest nod, those crimson eyes still only half-lidded.

Ryou left the bathroom quietly, giving one last look into the room at the one he called his family before making a silent exit.

* * *

Bakura was lying on his stomach upon his bed, clad only in his boxers. His hair was still quite damp despite his best efforts to dry it, meaning the back of his neck remained dripping wet. Currently, Ryou was sitting next to him, working that salve into his back.

Bakura hissed as Ryou hit a sensitive area, where the muscles were aching worst. "Careful."

"Sorry," Ryou said, stopping the procedure for a moment to get a little more salve on his palms. "But I have to get it all over. It may hurt now, but trust me, this stuff will make you feel a lot better."

"And you know this, how?" Bakura murmured, resting his chin upon his pillow. He looked at Ryou out of the corner of his eye.

"…You used to use it on me when I was little," Ryou said softly, working the salve into the section of Bakura's lower back, just above the waistband of his boxers. "When I came home after getting bullied, you'd always use this stuff on my bruises. It always…helped me feel better."

"…I forgot about that," Bakura confessed, eyes half-lidded, mostly due to exhaustion. "I mean, after beating so many guys up for you because of the way you were treated, you haven't been bullied in so long… Because they knew if they messed with you, they messed with _me," _Bakura said, cracking a grin.

"You always beat them up for me," Ryou commented, moving down so that he was on the back of Bakura's knees; a spot that Bakura had really been complaining about when it came to the pain. "They messed with me, and you always took care of them."

"Of course. I wouldn't let anyone screw with you, Ryou. That's why I'm here," Bakura said, a rather loud, pained noise escaping his throat. "Ngh, that hurts, Ryou."

"I know. But I told you, this'll make the pain fade away," Ryou murmured, smiling slightly. _It feels a little weird, me having to play doctor this time. Bakura has almost always been the one to take care of my wounds… It's not very often it's the other way around…_

"I'll take your word for it, then," Bakura said, letting his eyes drift closed. "…How long does it take for this stuff to work?"

"Well… You're an evolved vampire, so it'll probably take longer on you. I'm guessing a few hours?"

"How do you know if it'll even work at all?"

"I just have a hunch, okay? Trust me on this," Ryou said with a tender smile as he began to replace the cap back onto the container. He then patted Bakura's shoulder, "Now get some sleep. It'll help even more if you get some rest. And try not to roll over, okay?"

"Mm." Bakura's eyes were already shut, and he could feel himself drifting onto waves of sleep. "Thanks, Ryou…"

Ryou merely beamed as he watched Bakura drift off into a deep sleep, his chest rising slightly against the sheets, and his stomach pushing gently outwards with deep breaths before caving back in. _He looks so different when he sleeps…_

Ryou quietly stood before padding out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door to Bakura's room to ensure his privacy.

After returning the cream back into its proper spot in the medicine cabinet, Ryou decided to check up on Malik. After all, they hadn't really talked since the incident…

Ryou quietly made his way towards the stairs, but he froze at a sudden pang that rushed through him. He let out a little gasp, eyes wide as he pressed a hand to his chest. _What… What was that?_

It was similar to a jolt of pain, but it tingled and came in a thick wave. Ryou stood there in the middle of the hall for a moment, one hand over his heart and another cupped over his mouth. Slowly, he dropped his hands, and headed down the stairs. He kept a hand on the handrail, just in case.

He gasped, fingers tightening as that jolt of pain flowed into him again. He halted in his tracks, biting his lip as he tried to block out the pain. But despite his efforts, he couldn't succeed. He didn't like the way his legs were trembling beneath him, either… _What's happening to me?_

Ryou's hand tightened upon the handrail, clenching his perfect, yet abnormally large teeth together. He was about to turn around to head back upstairs, but he stopped, jumping a little as a scream reached his ears.

Forcing himself, he spun on his heel, sprinting down the stairs, hand trailing down the support rail. He raced down the staircase, but he noticed that as he ran, that pang that had rushed through him was becoming an even greater wave, and it was beginning to swallow him whole…

He skipped the last few steps, jumping from the third to the bottom and landing almost perfectly. His ears twitched slightly at a whimper, sounding like it was coming from the foyer. He turned, and raced into the little entrance hall. He found nothing there, however.

A frown crossed his lips, and a small gasp spilled over as another wave of pain struck him, hard. Ryou covered his mouth with a slender, pale hand, pressing his back against the wall, knees nearly knocking together. _W… What's going on? W-What's happening?_

Ryou's thoughts were smearing together, but no matter how many questions cascaded through his mind, he had no answers.

He was snapped out of his musings at the sound of footsteps. His chocolate eyes widened slightly, and he frowned. The little closet had no space for people, so that only left one place…

He forced himself into an upright position, taking a mere two steps towards the front door. He reached out, fingers curling about the knob, before silently opening the door.

Ryou froze, eyes as big as dinner plates. Hands flew to his mouth, covering it as he stepped backwards. He pressed his side against the frame to support himself, eyes glimmering with tears. "M-Malik…"

Ryou felt sick. The scent of blood hung over the porch like a thick cloud, and he felt close to crying, the body of his friend cast at his feet.

Malik was covered in blood, and his lavender eyes were still cracked open slightly, glazed over entirely in unconsciousness. Bite marks and cuts littered his form, and blood continued to ooze out of the yet to be sealed markings. His figure was limp, his sandy blonde hair cascading over the sides of his face.

_D… Did Marik do this?_ Ryou thought silently, swallowing.

Ryou tried to take a step forward, but his eyes widened, a scream tearing from his throat as hands wrapped about his face, covering his mouth and the other lacing about his neck to hold him in place. Tears were burning in the very back of Ryou's eyes, for the teen was not only in pain, but he was scared…

"You always come in at the wrong times. You're just too curious for your own good, little Ryou," a voice whispered into his ear, sending a chill down Ryou's back.

Ryou attempted to free himself, to scream, _anything;_ but nothing was working. Tears glittered in frightened, chocolate orbs as the grip tightened.

_/Have you forgotten, my little host? You _do _have a power, correct?/_

Ryou swallowed hard, tense in the grasp. He didn't like the way his yami suddenly broke into his mind, either. /B-But-/

_/Look, Ryou. You either learn to fight your fears… Or you can overcome them. But it's only up for you to decide./_

* * *

Chapter 38: End.


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: Yeah, this update took a while. Again. So sorry. D: And I'm sorry if it's not that great, but I haven't been in the best of moods due to various reasons... So yeah. Hope you enjoy anyway.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

/B-But… Yami… W-Why can't you-/

_/If I remember correctly, my little host, you wished for me to not interfere in your life. I'm merely here to fulfill your needs when it comes to bloodthirstiness… Also… I can't be around for you forever, I'm sure you know… So why should I fight for you? You need to learn to defend yourself, if you want to have any opportunity to survive in the real world, my Ryou./_

/B-But… H-He…/ Tears were swimming the back of Ryou's eyes. /I-I…/

_/Fight him. You have a power, so use it. You can't always stay in the darkness, afraid of hurting people. Learn to fight, Ryou./ _The darkness's voice began to quiet down, and Ryou knew he was retracting back into hiding. _/You're on your own, host./_

Ryou was about to call back for him, but he choked as the hands about him suddenly tightened, jerking him back into the real world. He twisted in the grip, struggling to free himself. In his struggle, he managed to catch a glimpse of the face of his captor. Ryou felt his heart still. _Marik…_

Once dark, violet eyes were raven black, blank and narrow. Blood was splattered across his face, staining his canines. There was a gash upon his jaw, still spilling dark red crimson that fell in a thick ribbon down his neck and pooling on his clothes. It looked like that of claw marks, the rather deep markings obviously from that of a defensive attack. There was also a bruise on Marik's neck, apparently from a struggle…

_I'm going to die. He's going to kill me… _Ryou was frozen as he stared into those empty eyes, petrified. _He… He's completely lost it…_

Marik suddenly jerked his head upwards, one hand still clamped over his mouth and the other about his jaw to prevent him from moving his head. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, Ryou's own glistening with tears. He felt a warm breath of a whimper against his palm, noticing Ryou as the boy broke down into trembles.

Ryou's heart pounded in absolute terror against his ribcage, his entire body quivering with fear. He was too afraid to fight back, and he couldn't scream. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he watched Marik open his mouth, revealing a set of bloodied fangs, and that very moment, all the memories washed over Ryou's mind at once.

_No! _Ryou wriggled viciously in the man's grip, whimpering loudly. He forced his arms up, managing to shove the man away from him. He began to stumble backwards, but he tripped over Malik's unconscious body, and was sent tumbling onto the concrete porch on his rear.

He gasped softly as that familiar jolt of pain washed over him again, and he bit his lip as Marik's shadow fell over his body. He jerked his head up, tears of pure horror threatening to overflow. _N-No…_

Ryou leapt to his feet with a burst of adrenaline, and darted away from the scene, almost hyperventilating as he desperately ran into the house. He could hear Marik's footsteps right behind him, and with each one it felt like a hammer was falling on his heart. He could barely breathe, and he darted through the house and up the stairs, tears freely racing down his face.

He screamed as a hand latched about the base of his neck, slamming him into the wall. Ryou whimpered as he was pinned down, fresh tears flowing from his eyes. His entire body trembled, and he was barely breathing, choking on air as he struggled to gain more of it. _N-No… P-Please…_

It was like his worst nightmare coming to life. He had always been afraid of this happening, and now it was a reality…

He felt the razor sharp tips of fangs press against his throat, and Ryou was no longer breathing, eyes as wide as they could possibly get. _N… No…_

He could feel the warmth of breath against his skin. Tears glistened in his eyes, and Ryou felt his muscles tense. Fangs hovered above milky skin-

"_No!" _Ryou screamed, _"Get away from me!"_

Muscles burned under his skin as he tore himself from the grip in a harsh movement, and he pulled back, arms jerking forward as he shoved Marik with as much force as he could muster.

He was gasping, trembling as he stood at the top of the stairs, using the wall for support as he watched Marik's figure tumble down the stairs. Ryou quickly turned, and ran down the hall, heading for Bakura's room.

His feet hit the floor heavily as he ran, and he was barely able to breathe, his heart feeling like it was lodged in his throat. _So close… Please…_

His hand curled about the doorknob, about to rip it open, when a sudden force applied to his skull, slamming his face against the door. Ryou screamed, arching his back as blood clouded his vision.

A sharp pang raced through him again, and this time, it was even more painful. It was then that his entire body began to pulse with pain, and the agony just wouldn't stop, that Ryou allowed himself to scream for help.

Claws dug into the framework about the door as Ryou was knocked to the floor. He couldn't move. His entire body was throbbing with pain, and it felt as if his skin was stretching, his muscles and bones burning. Ryou's body jerked in a spasm underneath Marik, who had him pinned to the carpeted floor.

Ryou screamed again, claws dug into the carpet. He felt his form jerk again, and the pain was only growing, feeling like his entire body was being molded into a different shape. Bones and muscles ached like nothing he ever felt.

It was then Ryou only noticed that he was in Marik's hold, neck in between those lips. But Ryou couldn't feel anything. He hadn't even noticed that Marik had bitten him… And now his eyes were sliding shut as the pain began to fade away.

Marik roughly jerked out his fangs as he felt Ryou go limp in his hold. He glared down at the body, which was frail and limp in his grasp. He merely stared as at the thin teenager, Ryou's crimson blood pooling onto the once stainless floor.

He found it bizarre how Ryou barely fought back right before the feeding. Earlier he fought, but in the last seconds, there was barely anything…

Marik's head jerked up as the door before him suddenly ripped opened, revealing a sleepy looking Bakura, who was leaning on mostly his left foot as he used the doorframe for support.

Bakura's once blank expression melted away, his cool complexion flying straight out the window. Crimson eyes widened as he studied the scene, before he forced himself into a run, racing across the hall and grabbing Marik by the throat. Those crimson eyes were narrow now, the drained man pinning Marik against the wall, and a low growl erupted from his throat, "What did you do to him?"

Bakura's mood was dark and hating now. Anger radiated off of him, claws drawing blood as he dug into Marik's flesh. He could see the film covering Marik's eyes, and he could smell a disgusting cloud of blood hovering over Marik's form.

_He's lost himself. _Bakura's claws dug in further. _He's completely insane…_

Bakura blinked as he felt a prick against his neck. Muscles tensed beneath milky skin as Bakura's eyes narrowed to near slits, a growl ripping deep from his throat. His hand shot out, wrapping like a vise about his throat, slamming his head against the wall. "Touch me again… And I'll break your _neck."_

Even in his weakened condition, anger was often more than enough fuel to keep Bakura going. And when it came to Ryou…

"I told you not to lay another finger on him, _ever." _Bakura's jaw was set, hands trembling as he pinned Marik down. "I don't care how messed up you are. You don't have any morals… Any limits…"

Bakura snarled as he sniffed out another haze of blood that didn't belong to Ryou, but the pale vamp still recognized it… "You even fed off the one person that made a move to help you."

Bakura squeezed Marik's neck harshly, eyes dark and loathing as he watched the vampire before gasp and struggle to break free for air. "Unfortunately for _me… _I can't take you out, even if you did rip the last straw from me… Because then I'd be killing Ryou's friend inside. Unlike you… I can't stand to hurt certain people."

Bakura pulled back a hand, claws glimmering in the little light. "However… No one said I'd refrain from hurting you from what you've done."

Blood splattered onto the carpet, Bakura's eyes narrow and almost regretful and he sliced his claws through Marik's front. The vampire in his grip reeled, struggling to snap free, but Bakura kept him pinned to the wall, not releasing him as he continued to slice through the skin.

A little pool of blood had collected onto the carpet by the time Bakura ripped out his claws. He watched, emotionless, as Marik sank to the floor, hands clutching at his chest. Bakura snarled as he turned on his heel, to refocus his attention on Ryou, but froze as his eyes fell onto the form of the teen.

His body was nothing more. All that was there was the tiny form of a bat, lying in a small puddle of blood.

Bakura's knees went weak, and he collapsed onto them before the little creature. He gently scooped the limp form up into his hands, staring down at it.

It was obviously Ryou, Bakura was sure of it. In his bat form, Ryou's face was rounded off, and his wings were currently crumpled at his sides. It was a little strange to Bakura, though, that in his bat form, Ryou was smaller than most. There was blood rolling down his forehead and down his neck, making Bakura swallow thickly.

He forced himself back onto his feet, his legs shaking, desperately trying to support his weight. He cradled Ryou's fragile little form gently as he staggered back into his room, no longer paying Marik any mind.

He shuffled towards his bed, gasping as pain shot through him at his movements. He whimpered softly; despite Ryou's best efforts, his body had still yet to heal entirely, and even basic movements hurt him.

He gently set Ryou's small form onto his pillow, frowning as blood began to stain the white pillowcase. He sighed softly, and climbed up onto the bed, eyes locked on Ryou's little form. _Hopefully he'll wake up soon…_

Bakura felt numb as he stared at Ryou's limp form, eyes closed upon a strange face. Nothing had truly sunken in quite yet; too much seemed to be striking him at one time. _He just evolved into an adult… And his darkness is overtaking him. Now he's learned how to change into a bat… But unconscious…he's not supposed to be in that form. Unless he was forced to change because he prematurely changed into an adult vamp?_

Bakura was honestly confused. At Ryou's age, he had already sprouted into an adult, for vamp blood was in his family's genes. He had learned to transform into a bat about a week afterward, but he had to _force_ himself to change. His body never actually morphed _for _him, like Ryou's obviously had.

_He wouldn't have changed if he had the opportunity. He would've been too scared. And Marik was right on his heels… Changing is normally a good chance to escape, but not this time around because Ryou would have no idea of what to do. So it's apparent that his body changed into his bat form without his own input…_

Bakura's eyes fluttered as the man struggled to stay awake. He had already been dragged slowly out of a deep sleep, and he was still just so tired… _I need to keep an eye on Ryou…_

But despite his efforts, his eyes began to slip shut again, and sleep overpowered him.

* * *

Mocha eyes fluttered open. Ryou let out a little moan, his entire body throbbing._ Oh, my head… What happened to me?_

He started to lift his hand, and had it nearly against his face when he realized it. It wasn't his arms that he was lifting. It was a wing.

Ryou bolted upright. He stared down at himself, panic in his stomach. _What…happened to my body?_

It wasn't at all like his normal form. It looked like that of what seemed to be a bat, like Bakura's other form. Wings replaced his arms, and his entire body seemed to have grown smaller. _But… Why did I change? Is that why I was…in pain?_

Ryou looked around, finding himself seated on a pillow. Glancing around to absorb his surroundings, his lips twitched into a slight smile at the sight.

Bakura was seated on the bed, surprisingly still sitting upright. But his eyes were closed and his head was resting against his chest, which rose and fell in rhythm. He was obviously in a deep sleep.

…_He fell asleep watching me? _Ryou bit his lip. _Then…_

It was at that very moment that the memories washed over Ryou in a vicious wave, spilling over his mind. Stumbling onto Malik's body, Marik, running… And then there was white hot _pain. _And he could remember just getting bitten before his mind went into darkness…

_Then he did come for me… He just didn't make it in time. _Ryou bit his lip harder, blood breaking the skin. _But… Did he find me this way? Or did I change after he fell asleep?_

Ryou tried to stand up, but his small legs couldn't support his weight. What sounded close to a squeak emitted from his throat as he was sent tumbling from atop the pillow and down onto the mattress.

Ryou whimpered a little as he managed to sit up, his wings hanging limp at his sides. _Ow…_

His entire body was sore, probably as a result from his first time changing. He made a movement to try to stand back up, but he froze as he felt something touch him.

Ryou jumped, his head snapping upright. A small breath of relief passed through his lungs as he found himself staring up into Bakura's face. There was a slight glimmer of confusion in Bakura's eyes, "I thought I left you on the pillow?"

Ryou let out a little noise of surprise as Bakura cupped his hands around his body, and picked him up. Ryou only then felt how _cold _Bakura's hands were, as the man held him gently, lifting him off the mattress and in his hands. "I-I fell…"

Bakura's lips twitched into that of a tired smile. "Trouble with your new form, then? You'll eventually get used to it…"

_At least he can still understand me… _But Ryou was still nowhere close to comforted. "…How did I get this way?"

"…That, I don't know." Bakura said as he set Ryou down, back atop of the now bloodstained pillow. "You should've gained the ability to change, but never in my life did my body actually morph _for _me."

"…I'm a freak," Ryou murmured, choosing to sit down to reduce the risk of him falling again. "I'm nothing like the other vampires…"

"You just had a premature spurt, nothing more. You're doing perfectly fine, other than the fact you grew into an adult too early. There's nothing else wrong-"

"Yes, there is. There are a lot of things wrong with me." Ryou's mocha eyes saddened suddenly. "I've become an adult and still have no control over my body."

"That isn't your fault, Ryou." Bakura frowned as he leaned forward, "Some things just… Take time. You can't always take control of everything…"

"But… It's my own body. Why can't I have control?" Ryou asked, looking up into Bakura's face with glimmering mocha eyes. "W-When will I get it?"

"…Soon." Bakura internally grimaced. He didn't know if that was true or not, but he hated to see Ryou so down…

"…Can you at least…help me change back?" Ryou asked softly, those large chocolate eyes locked with Bakura's.

Bakura's lips twitched into a playful smirk, "But you're so cute; you look like a little stuffed animal!"

"Kura!" Ryou whined, wings fluttering at his sides. "That isn't funny!"

"Yeah, you're right." Bakura chuckled. "You do look like a little doll, though. If I can't change you back maybe I'll just put you on my bookshelf…"

"Kura!" Ryou could feel himself turning red. "Just help me turn back, _please!"_

"Sorry. I got carried away." Bakura smiled a little bit. "Anyway… When I try to transform, the most I do is just think about it. You have to focus on it, telling yourself you'll change forms. Over time you'll get better and just the tiniest thought of it can get you to change, but for now, you'll need to think really hard about it, or it won't happen."

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut. "I just have to think about it? That's all?"

"That _should_ be all…" Bakura said quietly. At least, he hoped that would be all it took. After all, Ryou's vampire stages weren't exactly what he'd call normal at this point…

Bakura held his breath as he watched Ryou in silence. The seconds that ticked past seemed like years to the man, for he was currently fearful that things wouldn't work right. But he felt his heart do a little flutter in his chest as he watched Ryou's form begin to change before him. Sure, it was a slow process, and there was a look of pain on Ryou's face, but Bakura watched him turn back.

Ryou was panting by the time he opened his eyes. He looked down, blinking at milky skin and hands. He took a look at his real body, before his lips stretched into a slightly tired smile. _I did it._

He managed to sit up, despite the pain along the way. He looked up, meeting Bakura's wine-colored eyes.

"'Guess I can't put you on my shelf." Bakura smiled warmly. "But, at least you know how to change now."

"…Yeah. But… Is it supposed to hurt when I change?" Ryou asked, a little softly. He was a little nervous of the answer, hoping that wasn't another error when it came to his vampirism.

"For a while, it's going to hurt. Your body still has to get used to being forced into different forms. But, when you make it into a routine, your body will get accustomed to being forced into a different shape, and it won't hurt anymore."

"…Oh. Okay." Ryou's heart did a little flutter of relief in his chest. _At least that's one less thing I have to worry about…_

"By the way, are you feeling all right? You lost a lot of blood back there, kiddo." Bakura said, scowling slightly.

"I-I'm okay. B-But what did you do about…Marik?"

Anger flooded crimson eyes, and Bakura snorted as he leaned back. "Don't worry about that trash. I took care of him." He rolled his eyes. "He drank so much blood it was disgusting. I could smell it. Yours, Malik's…"

_Wait… Malik! _It only then struck Ryou. He had left Malik alone to run. The albino sprang off the bed then, and was halfway across the room in seconds.

"Ryou? Ryou, wait! Where are you going?" The older of the two struggled off the bed, using the mattress to help support himself.

"I have to make sure Malik is okay!" Ryou screamed, already down the hall.

Bakura's lips twitched into a small smile, and he exhaled deeply, slowly crawling back onto the bed, this time, under the sheets. He merely flipped his pillow over before putting his head down. _He'll be all right. He's a smart boy…_

_Besides, I honestly doubt Marik will try to target him again…_

-

Ryou panted as he stumbled down the stairs and hurried into the foyer. His hands trembling, he ripped the front door open, but he froze.

The blood was completely gone, and Malik was missing from the scene.

_Bakura took care of me as soon as he saw me. Then the only person that could've gotten hold of him was… Marik._

A numb feeling washed over Ryou's body. He really didn't want to run into the man again, but he had to check on Malik…

He shut the front door before hurrying into the living room. It was empty. A scowl crossed Ryou's brow. _Then where else could they be? There aren't any other bedrooms in the house…_

Ryou hurried back up the stairs, hand trailing up the support rail. He had to check the other rooms in the house before worrying. _But will he even be all right when I find him?_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 39: End.


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: Yes, I know, another slow update. But I had a lot of issues pulling out this last chapter... I was struggling wrap everything up and tie the loose ends together, and I was unsure of how to do so for quite a while. So yeah. I hope you enjoy the final chapter, since you waited so long for it!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Ryou was panting, doubled over with a hand pressed against the wall to hold himself up. He had checked every room upstairs, and there weren't any others downstairs… _So where could he be?_

Ryou hoped the feeling he had was just his mind playing off the worst; he really hoped Malik was still in the house. _I hope Marik didn't take him off somewhere… O-Or… K-Killed him…_

Ryou really hoped that wasn't the case. _Then where… _And then it hit him: the basement.

Ryou instantly took to the staircase, sprinting downstairs. He slid through the kitchen, not hesitating as he ran to the door leading to the basement. Strangely, it was closed. Ryou quickly took the knob in his hands to open the door, but a frown crossed his lips. The door was locked.

_But Bakura and I always leave it unlocked… _Ryou's hands tightened. _Then they have to be down there._

Ryou took a few steps back, tightening up his muscles as he ran towards the door, before ramming his shoulder and upper arm against the structure. Due to his strength acquired by becoming a vampire, the door didn't stand a chance.

It burst open, and Ryou stumbled slightly down the steps. He then broke into a run as he sprinted down the stairs, calling out, "Malik, are you down here?"

A deep scowl wrinkled across the teen's brow then. There was no answer.

Quietly, he called for his friend, keeping his arms wrapped about himself, almost protectively. He started to take a step forward, but there was a rather loud sound at that moment that made him freeze in an instant.

He whirled around a few seconds afterwards, his heart thudding in his chest as his mocha eyes scanned the darkness. And it was then he noticed a movement, right beneath the wooden steps.

Ryou took hesitant steps closer, bending down slightly as he crept under the stairs. "M-Malik?" he whispered, trembling fearfully as he got down on his knees next to the figure, before his heart stopped.

"Malik!" Ryou screamed, his eyes finally taking in the appearance of the boy through the dark. His friend was curled up in a ball, eyes only half open, and what looked like rope tied about his wrists and ankles, obviously to prevent means of escape. There was what appeared to be a bandana tied about his mouth, keeping him silent, and it easily blocked out his cries. Blood was caked upon his skin, mainly upon the sides of his neck, as if remnants from his encounter with Marik…

Ryou hurriedly untied the black material from about Malik's lips, letting it crumple to the floor. He stared worriedly into Malik's eyes, which were glassy and unfocused. "M-Malik? C-Can you hear me?"

Lavender eyes rose almost blearily to lock with that of chocolate. "R… Ryou," the teen whispered, voice coming out in a raspy whisper.

"H… How long have you been down here?" Ryou asked softly, rubbing gently at Malik's now raw wrists, noticing that there were nearly white in color, stained with ribbons of blood.

"…I… I can't remember," Malik answered softly, weakly, letting his unfocused eyes drift shut. "H-He… He bit me… T-Then… I-I woke up like this… Down here, alone… U-Until he came back…"

"Did he try anything else with you?" Ryou asked, albeit nervously.

Malik softly shook his head, dirtied strands of blonde hair falling into his teary eyes. "H-He… He looked…disappointed. I don't know why… B-But he just sat on the steps, t-to keep an eye on me… He didn't say anything… And he was o-only around for a few minutes before he left…"

Ryou bit his lip, not saying anything. He did, however, scoot a little closer to wrap his arms about his friend's body before hefting him from the floor.

"W… What are you doing?" Malik whispered, bleary eyes locking with Ryou's.

"I'm taking you upstairs to see Bakura. We need to make sure you're not really hurt… And he knows more about vampires than me, so…" Ryou linked Malik's arms about his neck as he began to ascend the stairs. "I think we should talk to him first…"

Ryou trailed off into silence as he realized Malik was barely awake as he carried him upstairs, a meager thread of his friend's consciousness left.

Now wasn't the time to try string up a conversation.

* * *

"Do you want me to do it?" Bakura asked then, looking up from the device he held in his angular fingers.

"No… I'll do it." Ryou's hands clenched into fists. "It wouldn't be fair to you. You're already weak enough, Bakura. Let me do it."

"But, Ryou… You're already struggling with your control… Are you sure?" Bakura raised a single, snowy eyebrow in question. "I mean, draining yourself… You'll get hungry again…"

Ryou inhaled deeply, "I'm sure. Please, Bakura, let me do this."

The two albinos were sitting upon Bakura's king-sized bed at the moment, Malik, unconscious, sprawled upon his back between them. Ryou had gone into the bedroom, successfully dragging Bakura out a deep sleep in a desperate need for the older vamp's help. And of course, Bakura agreed without question. Bakura knew Malik was more than likely dangerously low on blood, and now the two were debating who should be the donor to help Malik out with his blood issue.

Bakura bit his lip with hesitation evident on his features, but he finally exhaled deeply, caving in. "All right. Give me your arm."

Ryou stretched the limb out, which Bakura took into one hand. He posed the syringe right above the main vein in Ryou's wrist, before flicking his gaze up to look the boy in the eyes. "Tell me when to stop."

Ryou barely had the chance to nod before Bakura plunged the needle into the vein. Ryou gasped, and it was only seconds before Bakura began to pull the handle back, extracting a thick amount of blood, filling up the cylinder of the syringe with ease. Ryou hissed with pain, and tried to jerk away on instinct.

"…I'm sorry. I don't wish to hurt you, Ryou, you know that…" Bakura paused, eyes flicking up to stare at Ryou. "…Should I stop?"

Ryou shook his head softly, digging the fingers of his free hand into the sheets. It _hurt. _He didn't know why though; he had his blood drawn before, and it never ached this badly… And even when a vampire drained him, it didn't hurt like this… He decided to keep quiet about that, however. Now wasn't the time to bother Bakura with more meaningless questions.

"…All right." Bakura then proceeded to continue pulling the handle of the syringe, lips pursed into a thin line as he did so. He nearly stopped again as he heard Ryou whimper, but he merely inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the fact, and continued the procedure. It was only until he had the entire cylinder of the syringe filled that he stopped. His eyes rose to Ryou, who had his eyes squeezed shut, apparently not wanting to watch.

Bakura then extracted the device from Ryou's arm, resting it on his thigh, making sure not to let the top of the needle come in contact with any other material. He then took Ryou's arm into his hands, before raising the said limb to his lips. He stared at Ryou under spiky bangs for a brief moment, before tenderly licking the blood from Ryou's arm that had escaped, also licking over the hole created from the needle. He paused, savoring the taste that had now overtaken his mouth. He didn't _want _to pull away… But, reluctantly, he did so, gently releasing Ryou's arm. "Hey… It's over. You can open your eyes now, okay?"

Ryou's chocolate eyes slid slowly open, abnormally large canines sinking into his lip. His arm felt like it was on fire…

"Hey… What's the matter?" Bakura reached out, brushing snowy bangs out of Ryou's eyes. He didn't like the little glimmer of pain he could see in those chocolate orbs. "Did I hurt you?"

"…It wasn't you," Ryou whispered in a response, not meeting Bakura's gaze. "It just… It hurt when you were drawing my blood… But before this… I never hurt like that when it happened…"

"You're probably just sensitive right now. Having to just grow into an adult, having your darkness lurking behind your walls, waiting for escape, and to be fed of off like that…" Bakura gave a small smile. "You'll be all right. I promise."

"But why?" Ryou lifted his head, eyes locked with Bakura's.

"Your body is probably still trying to recuperate, but it is still being used too much to get the chance. You probably need to just take it easy for a while, okay?"

Ryou nodded softly, head bowing as snowy bangs fell into his eyes. Bakura sighed, a tiny smile upon his lips, before taking Ryou into his arms in a small embrace. He patted Ryou's back, "You'll be fine. You're strong; you can get through this, I know it."

Ryou nodded, and pulled back. He sat there for a long moment, eyes focused on Malik's body, before his eyes rose almost questioningly up at Bakura.

"…Oh," Bakura blinked, it almost having slipped his mind for a second. He took the syringe back up into his hand then, and reached over, picking up the small crystal glass that sat upon his side table. He then forced the blood out of the cylinder, and into the glass, before throwing the device onto the bed.

Ryou, without words, linked his thin arms about Malik, forcing the teen into an upright position. Bakura, holding the glass in one hand, forced Malik's mouth open, before tilting the glass upwards to pour the contents.

After he finished that procedure, he set the glass back down, opening his mouth to say that Ryou could put his friend down, but he closed it again as he noticed that Ryou's eyes were shut, and Bakura quickly realized the boy was not aware of the world around him any longer, apparently asleep.

Bakura sighed, and proceeded to pry the two apart. He moved Malik's body to the foot of the king-size bed, and draped a blanket over him. Then, he crawled across the bed to Ryou's side.

He wrapped his arms about Ryou's figure, before laying him down onto his back. A strand of snowy hair fell over Ryou's cheek, which Bakura brushed away and tucked behind one of Ryou's perfect ears.

Bakura sighed, and sank a canine into his lower lip. He could still taste it.

The taste of Ryou's life substance still swam through Bakura's mouth, and he closed his eyes for a brief moment in a desperate struggle to block it out, but he failed. His eyes drifted back open, and he sucked in a shaky breath. _This isn't right._

Bakura, despite his thoughts, reached out, and took Ryou's hand. He lifted it so that his lips were mere millimeters away. A pained look came into Bakura's eyes at that moment, and he tensed, hoping things wouldn't turn ugly… But he had no other option. He couldn't take it.

A sickening noise occurred at that moment as Bakura's fangs ripped through the skin of Ryou's wrist and into his vein. It was at that moment a small wave of relief washed over Bakura's mind, releasing him from his tense state.

He sucked out a few mouthfuls, before he slipped out his fangs, being as gentle as he possibly could. Without hesitation, he licked over the pinpricks on Ryou's wrist, before settling back on his rear, staring into Ryou's face.

He assumed Ryou must have fainted; otherwise, the boy would have reacted to the bite and feeding.

Bakura pulled his fingers through his bangs then. _I can't believe this. I can't believe I've let myself stoop so low… I've let Ryou's blood become my favorite._

Bakura bit his lip as he drew his legs to his chest, resting his chin upon his knees as he stared into the boy's sleeping face. He didn't know when it had come to this. _When did I start reacting so strongly to his blood? I can't… I can't remember._

_And yet… This feels so strange. I've never had a favorite before… And to now realize it's the kind that comes from the teenager I spent my life raising… _He bit his lip harder. _There's no way. Ryou already reacts to strongly to my blood; he loves it so much that his darkness will push him away, just to get a hold of me. And now that I've fallen for his blood… There's no way for us to win._

_It will be a meaningless cycle. Two vampires cannot feed off each other; it doesn't add up. If one of us bites the other, the one fed upon cannot just bite the attacker; the victim has to go find someone else to drain… I know that._

Bakura laid down then, resting his head upon his arm, having given one pillow to Ryou and the other to Malik. He watched Ryou, not even realizing his lip was bleeding. _So why does it hurt so much?_

Bakura sighed as he closed his eyes, in a desperate hope he would fall asleep somehow. He was unsure… But he knew what he would do for right now. His newfound discovery would merely be kept a secret.

* * *

Sleep never came. Bakura had given up about an hour afterwards, and had proceeded to go downstairs to attempt something constructive.

There was no point in trying to sleep at this point.

He had tried to find things to do, but all of his attempts were meager failures. There was only one other thing he could think of to do.

_I need to fix my problems. I have to find Marik._

Bakura had left a note by the telephone, and had merely left the house without bothering to wake anyone up. And now he was shuffling down the sidewalk, his hands shoved in the pockets of his trench coat with his collar upwards against the world, and his shoulders hunched somewhat. His hands were clenched up into fists inside the pockets of his charcoal coat, a gust of wind sending the tail of the coat twisting around his legs. A light thudding occurred as he walked, boots heavily falling upon the pale, filthy sidewalk of the red-light district of town.

He knew Marik had left the house. He wasn't stupid. Marik already had enough problems being near Bakura in the first place, but have to completely lose himself like that and feed not only on Ryou, but on Malik, the only one who even seemed to care about the insane blonde?

There was nothing left to keep him in that house.

Bakura sighed softly, his breath coming out in a small, visible puff in the chilly night air. He shivered just slightly in the cold, before readjusting the collar of his coat so that it shielded his neck from the wind.

He could feel pairs of eyes upon him as he made his way down the sidewalk. He shoved his hands back into his pockets, setting his jaw as he tried to hold his head up high, despite his uneasy feeling. He couldn't risk the chance of being attacked now.

He knew Marik had more than likely ran off to the horrible district, for he didn't have anywhere else to go. The other sections of town would run him off if he tried to crash somewhere… But in this seedy part of town, anything could happen.

And that included finding a home in the strangest of places.

It was a few more minutes before Bakura reached his destination. He paused for a brief moment outside of the doors, tilting his head upwards to get a glimpse of the sign hanging overhead. He grimaced at the flashing neon lights, and although he knew he shouldn't be here, he opened the door.

The minute he stepped inside, he felt like a piece of him had just been ripped out. He knew he had just ruined a promise he had set for himself, but he had no choice. The vampire let the door click shut behind him, and he stood there for a brief moment, struggling to let his eyes adjust to the lighting, which was too bright for him. Everything around him was too strong.

The dance music was too loud, his overly developed hearing making it twice as strong. The lighting, consisting of flashing, bright colors, was naturally too bright for a vampire. He felt too hot, sweating slightly under his trench coat, and there was just so many people…

_And to think… _Bakura made his way across the room, ignoring the drunks and the people dancing and their stares. _I used to be one of these people._

His boots thudded, but the music drowned the sounds out. Bakura swallowed hard, feeling as if his heart was lodged in his throat. He spied a familiar face, hunched behind the counter, and Bakura made his way to an empty section of the bar, fingers curling over the greenish tile, before he came to a stop. "Yami…"

The man behind the counter straightened, a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other. A dark eyebrow rose at that exact moment, and a voice nearly screamed across the bar, struggling to stand out from the music, "Bakura? What are you doing here?"

Bakura bit his lip, lowering his gaze to the countertop. He traced a shapeless pattern upon the ugly tile, struggling to piece the words together. And then, his lips parted, "I wanted to tell Marik I'm sorry."

There was a long period of silence between the two men, disrupted greatly by the pounding techno music and the voices of far too many people.

And then, the man behind the bar smiled, just slightly. "I'm glad."

Bakura blinked once, and opened his mouth to question, but Yami held up one finger, brushing his bangs back – which Bakura noticed had grown out quite a lot - before leaning across the counter.

"He came here right off the bat. He spilled the story, and asked me if he could rent a room for a little while. Of course, I let him…" This is when Yami's lips twitched into a smile. "I asked him if he hated you… And he said even though you two never get along anymore… He can't ever hate you."

A small flutter occurred in Bakura's chest then, and he was sure he stopped breathing for a long moment. Finally, he blinked, just once, and asked breathlessly, "What?"

"You heard me." Yami leaned back slightly. "And his room number is 115, by the way," he said calmly, resuming wiping down the glasses.

As he looked up, however, Bakura was gone.

-

Bakura's boots thudded on hardwood as he ran up the stairs. For some odd reason, his heart was pounding, and his palms were coated with sweat. _Am I really that nervous?_

He raced down the hall until his eyes spied the correct number, framed upon the metal plate on the door, the same as all the others, only made different by the number labeling it.

He raised his fist, about to pound on the door, but his hand stilled. He placed his sweaty palm against the door, tilting his head skyward. _I'm sorry Ryou, but I have to do this._

He knew Ryou would probably be mad at him for dragging Marik back, but… _I hope he'll understand, that's it's not just for me. It's for Malik, too._

He forced himself to knock.

At first, nothing greeted him but silence, other than the rave music that drifted up the stairs from the first floor. And then, his ears twitched as they picked up a new sound. Footsteps.

He held his breath as the door opened up, just a slight crack. Bakura could see one shadowed violet eye, and he gave a weak smile.

And then, the door opened completely. The two old friends were left staring at each other. And then, something happened Bakura never dreamed would happen, ever again.

Suddenly, Marik flung himself about the man, arms laced tight about Bakura's bony neck. The blonde shook violently, biting his lip harshly in an attempt to bite back tears. "Y-You came back…"

Bakura stood there for a long moment, mute, unsure of how to act. Then, he smiled, just slightly, returning the embrace. "Yeah. I guess I did."

* * *

"Ryou, please… Just listen to me," Bakura pleaded, catching onto Ryou's arm. "This isn't about us. I mean, sure, it's another chance for Marik and I to mend our relationship, but… I did it mainly for Malik. They… They need each other. Especially now. Malik is going through what you already experienced, and I'm sure you remember how horrible it was. He needs someone to help him through it, step by step… And Marik fits that description."

Ryou bit his lip, opening his mouth in a desperate hope he'd think of something to say as an objection, but… Nothing. _Bakura's right. They really do rely on each other for comfort, for conversations, to maintain sanity…_

Bakura gave a hopeful look then, needing Ryou to cave in. Ryou hadn't reacted too well when he walked in the door with Marik in tow… Actually, he had flipped, and Bakura had to pull him aside to try to talk sense into him.

"See?" Bakura motioned to the living room, the two standing in the kitchenette, so they could easily see the couch. "Marik is so gentle with him… Malik is a lot happier with him, Ryou, and you know it, even if Marik _has _betrayed him. Malik forgave him… They need each other."

Ryou stared at the two from his place at Bakura's side, unable to help but smile, just slightly, at the sight of the two blondes curled up, side by side, on the sofa. Malik's head leaned against Marik's shoulder, the teen obviously asleep.

"…You're right. I… I'm sorry, Bakura, I just…" Ryou shook his head. "You know, it's just hard, after all those times he…"

"I know." Bakura took the boy into an embrace, smiling slightly into Ryou's mane of snowy hair. "I'm just lucky you're so accepting."

Although he wasn't looking, Bakura was sure Ryou blushed.

A moment later the two separated, and made their way out of the kitchen and walked through the living room. Bakura was smiling. It felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off of his shoulders… And he felt…_happy._

_There's no longer a need for secrets, is there? They're only getting in the way… _Bakura bit his lip then. _I need to tell Ryou the truth, then… I need to tell him about his blood before it gets too late…_

Bakura paused, and turned slightly on his heel, looking into Ryou's eyes, "Hey, before I forget, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. I don't mind…"

_I can do this. _Bakura swallowed, throat suddenly dry. He just didn't know how Ryou would take it. _But you'll never know until you spill it._

"…W-Well… I only realized it today, but I figured out my favorite kind of blood."

"Oh, that's good… Whose is it?" Ryou asked, obviously not catching on.

A deep flush of shyness and even embarrassment flooded Bakura's normally pale cheeks, and he whispered in a response, "Y-Yours."

* * *

Chapter 40: End.

A/N: THE END.

But who doesn't love happy endings? C: Anyways, I finally finished this story, after such a long time! Sorry for the many delays along the way, as well! Now that this story is done, I'm going to finish 'Never' and 'Molding Perfection', which shouldn't take too long, and then be on the lookout for 'Unchained' and 'Testify'!

Love you guys! See you next update!


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